Plans given green light to double capacity at York's Grand hotel and spa

Work on the £15m redevelopment of Splendid Hospitality Group's five-AA-star Grand hotel and spa in York is expected to begin at the end of the year.

City of York Council has approved plans to double the capacity at the 107-bedroom hotel, which was recently renamed from the Cedar Court Grand hotel and spa. Splendid acquired the hotel from the Cedar Court Group for an undisclosed sum last year.

The two-year project includes the creation of 100 executive suites by expanding into the adjacent Roman House office block, recently acquired by Splendid for an undisclosed sum. There will also be a new 140-seat restaurant with outdoor terrace to replace the existing Hudson's restaurant.

Plans include the upgrade of existing bedrooms and slight reconfiguration of the spa, which will be done on completion of the main works to minimise disruption to guests.
Some 45 new hotel jobs will be generated and a spokesperson confirmed that room rates, which start at £178 a night, will not be increased.

He added: "This is the only five-star hotel in York. Splendid bought the hotel because they saw this opportunity to take the business further."

Chief executive Stuart Bailey said: "Following this major investment, [the hotel] will be among the finest in the country, attracting more visitors in search of a luxurious hotel stay from further afield."

General manager Maria Florou added: "This is extremely good news for the local area as the new-look hotel will have wider appeal, bringing more people to this fantastic city."

The Grade-II listed property opened as a hotel in 2010 following a £30m redevelopment by the Cedar Court Group. It was originally constructed in 1906 as the headquarters of North Eastern Railways.

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