Decision on £6.5 Llangollen Royal hotel plans expected ‘in the coming weeks'
Denbighshire County Council is considering £6.5m plans to redevelop Llangollen's Royal hotel with a decision anticipated "in the coming weeks".
If the council approves the plans, the property would be redeveloped by One Hundred Knights, the company behind nearby Tyn Dwr Hall wedding venue, the Three Eagles Bar & Grill and the BLK Sheep Baa & Grill.
The planning application for the hotel, which is Grade II-listed and dates to 1752, has been submitted by local business partners Tom Bellis and Matt Jones, who have owned the hotel since 2019. They closed the property shortly after for renovations and had hoped to reopen it in 2020.
The proposed development would include an extensive refurbishment of the hotel's interior, with the addition of an upscale bar and bistro, as well as a new luxury spa wing. The hotel would also have 45 bedrooms and is hoped to reopen to guests in summer 2023.
Jones said: "The Royal is a gem of a building and location, and has drawn visitors to Llangollen for more than 250 years. Our redevelopment plans would help to ensure that it is still bringing visitors to our town for many more generations to come.
"For a long time the Royal was considered one of the most prestigious hotels in Wales, but now it needs significant investment and development to help it shine again. We believe our plans can deliver a landmark hotel for the region, drawing new visitors to Llangollen and Denbighshire, and creating sustainable year-round jobs."
Past guests have included Queen Victoria, who was a guest at the hotel with her mother five years before she succeeded to the throne, and the late Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.
Jim Jones, chief executive of North Wales Tourism said: "It's great to see such an ambitious company as One Hundred Knights producing major plans for transforming the iconic Royal hotel in Llangollen.
"The company has a track record of investing in quality, such as their restaurant the Three Eagles Bar and Grill also in Llangollen, which won the best eatery at the Go North Wales Tourism Awards in 2021. I wish them the best of luck with the planning application and look forward to working with them."
One Hundred Knights is also setting up a hospitality training academy in partnership with Coleg Cambria. The hotel would take on six hospitality apprentices per year.
