Chester Grosvenor Hotel to shut in September as workers left ‘heartbroken’
The historic Grosvenor Hotel in Chester will cease operating on September 30 following discovery of unsafe concrete, with staff left ‘heartbroken’ by the sudden news
The Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Eastgate Street(Image: Pete Stonier / CheshireLive)
Chester city centre’s historic Grosvenor Hotel will shut down in September, it has been announced. Bespoke Hotels, which runs the Grade II establishment situated beside the famous Eastgate Clock, delivered the devastating news to employees yesterday, it is believed.
This follows the detection of dangerous concrete above the function suites of the structure, which originates from 1865. In a statement issued to Cheshire Live, Bespoke Hotels said: “Following the recent discovery of RAAC above the function suites, the scale and complexity of the works required to put a long-term solution in place, alongside necessary refurbishment works, we have taken the very difficult decision to cease operating The Chester Grosvenor.
“As a result, it is our intention to close the hotel on 30th September 2026. Our immediate focus is on supporting our colleagues in the weeks ahead.
“We closed our conference suites after the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) during recent surveys. The safety of our guests and colleagues is of the utmost importance and the affected area will remain closed as a precaution.
“All other public areas of the hotel, as well as the car park, are unaffected and continue to operate as normal.”
A staff member said that the team was “heartbroken”. In a letter to staff penned by chief operating officer Richard Grove, which Cheshire Live has seen.
It reads: “Following the recent discovery of RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) above the function suites, the scale and complexity of the works required to put a long-term solution in place, alongside necessary refurbishment works, we have taken the very difficult decision to cease operating The Chester Grosvenor.
“As a result, our intention is to close the hotel on 30th September 2026. We recognise that this decision will be deeply upsetting and may lead to job losses for many colleagues, and will impact our customers and guests, whom you have served excellently over many years.”
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly, and it is in no way a reflection of the performance of the team. We fully appreciate the impact it will have on you and your families.
“Our immediate focus is on supporting you through this process, and we will be sharing further information shortly about what this means for you and support available.”
The Grosvenor Estate appointed specialist hotel management company Bespoke to take over the running of The Chester Grosvenor back in 2015.
