Carmarthenshire’s Stradey Park hotel closes with immediate effect

Stradey Park hotel in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, has closed with immediate effect.

According to a statement on Stradey Park hotel from Carmarthenshire County Council, the owners made a sudden decision to close the 76-bedroom hotel, which has impacted staff.

The Stradey Park hotel website remains live, though it is not possible to make a booking.

The local authority said it has made contact with staff at the hotel to provide employability support during this uncertain time.

Dame Nia Griffith, MP for Llanelli, confirmed the hotel is not being considered for any temporary housing plans, nor has it been approached by the Home Office or any other organisation regarding its future use.

In 2023, Stradey Park hotel was at the centre of a dispute over plans to house more than 200 asylum seekers, which resulted in months of protests outside the property.

Carmarthenshire County Council had argued changing the use of the hotel would amount to a breach of planning rules, but a High Court judge rejected the legal challenge.

The legal action followed reports that “around 100” staff at the hotel had been told they faced redundancy due to the Home Office’s plans.

Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council Cllr Linda Evans said of this week’s closure: “It’s extremely disappointing to learn that the owners of the Stradey Park hotel have decided to close the hotel and in such sudden fashion. Our priority as a County Council is to the staff of the hotel, who are directly affected by this development, and our officers are in direct contact with the staff to support them during what must be a very difficult and worrying time for them.” 

Cllrs Martyn Palfreman and Edward Skinner, representing the Hengoed Ward, added: “We are extremely grateful to the County Council for putting measures in place to help those staff affected by this sudden announcement and we will do all we can to add our support to these efforts over the coming weeks. We are also heartened to have received assurance from the UK government that they will not be using the Stradey Park hotel to house asylum seekers. This should provide reassurance across the community; however we would encourage anyone with ongoing concerns to contact us directly.”

Stradey Park hotel resided in a stone-built manor house, dating back to 1912, originally owned by local industrialist Alexander Raby.