Hotel rebrand sees original name return

A STRATFORD hotel has gone back in time as it looks to a trading future under its original name.

The Grosvenor Hotel on Warwick Road has been bought - for an undisclosed sum - by Brightstar Hospitality Management who intend to renovate the Grade II listed building which has been known as The Villare Hotel since the start of last year.

Rebranding the 76-bedroom hotel to its original name and incorporating into a portfolio of 13 hotels is something the chairman of Brightstar Hospitality, Clive Nicholls believes will be welcomed by Stratfordians of whom he is one having lived in the town centre with his wife, Edwina, for the last 20 years.

He's clearly delighted by the acquisition and told the Herald: "It's a lovely property which we've secured within the last week and we plan to re-open some time in October but we don't have a date yet because we need to recruit 30 to 35 staff and we need planning permission for the name change. We have had this hotel in our sights for a considerable time and are looking forward to welcoming guests from all over the world to showcase the best of hospitality in Stratford. Our intention is to upgrade the hotel, bring back its original name and take it back to its glory days.”

The Grosvenor takes its name from a gentleman called Grosvenor Williams who opened a bed and breakfast on the site of a former boys school at number 12, Warwick Road in 1967.

In those early days it had 16 bedrooms but this grew to 49 when number 13 Warwick Road was bought and in 1978 the hotel expanded again with the purchase of number 14 Warwick Road.

Mr Nicholls won't forget 1967 because this was the same year he went to Birmingham College of Food for a management course and graduated three years later. From 1972 to 1975 he was assistant manager at The Falcon Hotel in Stratford.

Having lived in the town since 2001 he knows the people well and last year experienced first hand the devastating blow Covid dealt the local economy and businesses but with the gradual lifting of travel restrictions he is hopeful things are getting better which is why the time was right to purchase The Grosvenor now.

"I started looking at the site in September or October last year and made some enquiries with the then owner. I wanted to buy it and eventually The Grosvenor became available via an agency which sells businesses. I see this as a great investment. It's got lots of facilities, a big restaurant and bar and would be ideal for large wedding parties if someone wanted to book 45 to 50 bedrooms for a wedding reception we could accommodate that. I'm 71 and was trying do a bit less work but this is so exciting and my wife and I are already talking about decorating the hotel for Christmas and we look forward to welcoming local customers back to The Grosvenor once more," Clive Nicholls said.