New £17m aparthotel set to open to guests

A new £17m aparthotel is set to open its doors to the public on Wednesday (November 3).

Situated on the corner of Market Street and Belvoir Street, The Gresham Hotel is an iconic structure built in the 1880s, that is well known throughout the Leicester area.

The £17m, two-year project by developer Aimrok Holdings, has seen this Grade II-listed Victorian building transformed from a department store (formerly occupied by retailer, Fenwick) into a high-end, 121-room aparthotel, containing serviced apartments with kitchen and en-suite facilities; an exclusive fitness suite; and laundry room for guests.

Central to aparthotel is Black Iron Social – a contemporary restaurant and bar that will serve aparthotel guests as well as being open to the public, The restaurant is under the same management as Leicester’s Winstanley House Hotel and the City Rooms.

Completing the evelopment are four commercial retail units and Gresham Works – 12,000 sq ft of conference facilities and co-working spaces, that have been leased to Leicester City Council on a 25-year agreement.

Mark Copson, director of Aimrok Holdings and The Gresham, said: “After such a challenging couple of years thwarted by the pandemic, we are very excited to be welcoming our first guests from Monday. The Gresham a stunning building and has been restored with a great deal of care and attention to detail both inside and out and we feel confident that our visitors will be delighted with their stay experiences.

“With its prime position in the heart of the City Centre, The Gresham already seems to be having a positive impact on the area and we intend for it to become, and remain an active part of the local community for many years to come.”

Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “Having had the chance to look around The Gresham, I can confirm this is very exciting news. The very stylish aparthotel will be another major draw for visitors to our city, and people wishing to work here will find the new workspace there very appealing, and just right for the post-covid economy.

“The restoration of this flagship building perfectly complements the other regeneration work taking place in this part of the city, and will provide a massive boost for the Market Street area and for Leicester.

The Gresham has been part-funded by an £8.2m loan from Maslow Capital and a £4m Growing Places Fund (GPF) loan through the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).

Kevin Harris, chair of the LLEP board of directors at the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), said: “The LLEP provided a Growing Places Fund loan of £4 million to support the redevelopment of the former Fenwick’s department store. The loan helped to kick-start this important project, that will have a significant impact on employment and provide much needed managed workspace for businesses.

“I am delighted to see the completion of The Gresham redevelopment and also that this iconic building has such a promising future.”