Chester city centre's historic Grosvenor Hotel will cease trading in September, it has been confirmed. Bespoke Hotels, which operates the Grade II hotel located next to the iconic Eastgate Clock, made the shock announcement to staff yesterday, it is understood.
It comes after unsafe concrete was discovered above the function suites of the building, which dates back to 1865. In a statement provided to Cheshire Live, Bespoke Hotels said: "Following the recent discovery of RAAC above the function suites, the scale and complexity of the works required to put a long-term solution in place, alongside necessary refurbishment works, we have taken the very difficult decision to cease operating The Chester Grosvenor.
"As a result, it is our intention to close the hotel on 30th September 2026. Our immediate focus is on supporting our colleagues in the weeks ahead.
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"We closed our conference suites after the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) during recent surveys. The safety of our guests and colleagues is of the utmost importance and the affected area will remain closed as a precaution. All other public areas of the hotel, as well as the car park, are unaffected and continue to operate as normal."
A member of staff told Cheshire Live the team was "heartbroken". In a letter sent to staff by chief operating officer Richard Grove, which has been seen by Cheshire Live, it states: "Following the recent discovery of RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) above the function suites, the scale and complexity of the works required to put a long-term solution in place, alongside necessary refurbishment works, we have taken the very difficult decision to cease operating The Chester Grosvenor.
"As a result it is our intention to close the hotel on 3oth September 2026. We recognise that this decision will be deeply upsetting
and may lead to the loss of jobs for many colleagues, and will impact our customers and guests, that you have given great service to over many years.
"This is not a decision we have taken lightly, and it is in no way a reflection of the performance of the team. We fully appreciate
the impact it will have on you and your families. Our immediate focus is on supporting you through this process, and we will be sharing further information shortly about what this means for you and support available."
The Grosvenor Estate appointed specialist hotel management company Bespoke to take over the running of The Chester Grosvenor back in 2015. Grosvenor has confirmed that it is developing plans to refurbish the hotel and find a new operator, adding: "'Our priority now is to ensure the long-term future of the hotel given its importance to Chester."