Refurbishment aims to turn Chateau Impney into 'leading' exhibition centre and hotel
The 106-bedroom hotel, set within a Grade II listed chateau, is part-way through a refurbishment programme following its purchase out of administration by Birmingham-based Greyfort Properties last July and it is hoped that when completed in October it will be ready to host a larger range of events.
General manager Ben Elder told BigHospitality the refurbishment was needed to modernise the 19th Century building, which was last updated in the 1980s, while also strengthening its appeal among different types of guests.
“When the new owners purchased the Chateau last year, they knew they were buying a property steeped in history, with lots of potential but in need of some TLC and modernisation,” he said. “From the outset, they made a clear commitment to put the property back on the map and to create a venue that is amongst the very best in the country."
Work is underway to create a new traditional British -themed 80-cover restaurant and bar which will follow improvements made to some of the bedrooms, function rooms and the reception area.
The next phase of work, will also see the remainder of the bedrooms in the main Chateau building, its 41 Courtyard Rooms and nine self-catering apartments totally refurbished.
Elder said: "The work undertaken to date is just the first step of our ambitious plan, and we are delighted with the results so far. While we still have a lot of work to do over the coming months, the feedback from guests has already been overwhelmingly positive."
Events and exhibitions
While the hotel is key to the business, Elder said the 1,000 square foot events and exhibition space offered by the estate was an area he was keen to push with corporate events, weddings and large exhibitions all business areas that the Chateau could potentially grow.
“While many people in the region will know Chateau Impney for its hotel facilities, most will be unaware of the sheer scale of our on-site exhibition complex,” he added. “Given our close proximity to the M5 and the access this gives us to Birmingham, the rest of the Midlands and the South West, conferencing and exhibitions is an area of the business that we intend to focus heavily on, positioning the Impney Regent Centre as one of the region’s leading exhibition centres."
Set in 110 acres of grounds Chateau Impney was originally constructed as a private residence for businessman John Corbett in 1875 before being converted into a hotel in 1928.
