Plans approved for Bristol's first five-star hotel

29 October 2015 by Katey Pigden

Plans for Bristol's first five-star hotel were approved unanimously by Bristol City Council's Planning Committee at a public meeting yesterday (28 October).

The £10m luxury hotel will take over the Grade II-listed Guildhall law courts and the adjoining Grade I-listed former Bank of England building. It will sit between Broad Street and Small Street and will include 92 suites, a rooftop pool, spa, restaurant and conference and event space.

Trevor Osborne Property Group bought Guildhall from the city council and originally revealed plans for a 64-bedroom hotel in 2013. The property was built in 1843 and suffered from bombing damage in 1940, which resulted in the interior being rebuilt. It has remained empty since 2010 when it was vacated by the Crown Prosecution Service. Listed Building Consent was granted for the change of use and extension of the Guildhall building in April 2013.

Earlier this year, the developer drew up new plans to include the adjoining building, currently occupied by the Citizens' Advice Bureau, to create a larger hotel. It is expected that most of the 1960s fabric of the building will be demolished during the conversion of the property.

A report to the planning committee said: "The proposal is for a high-quality hotel with a wide range of facilities, which will be of significant benefit to the tourism, entertainment and leisure offer of the city."

Local business owner Philip Searle, who runs the Strawberry Thief Belgian beer bar on Broad Street, said he supported the proposals but expressed concerns about the impact the construction work could have on businesses in the area.

Past projects undertaken by Trevor Osborne Property Group include the development of the 136-bedroom Trafalgar hotel in London and the transformation of the 95-bedroom Malmaison Oxford from the city's former prison.

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