Birmingham hotel set for major expansion
A Birmingham hotel previously used as accommodation for asylum seekers is to undergo a major expansion as it looks to return to full commercial use.
Up to 2014, what is now the Paragon Hotel in Alcester Street was being used as a hotel but in subsequent years when the number of asylum seekers increased in the UK, contractors such as G4S started to use hotels for the overspill from their hostels and initial assessment centres.
The Paragon was sporadically used in this way and served as emergency temporary accommodation once hostels and assessment centres had reached capacity.
The demand became so significant that there were times when almost the entire hotel was being used by asylum seekers.
The hotel’s current owners, the London-based El Akabi family, decided the usage warranted a change of use.
However, following a rethink, this proposal has now been shelved in favour of plans to return the building to full hotel usage.
The Grade II listed hotel, which dates back to 1903, has 250 guest rooms and there are 56 car parking spaces located on the adjacent site on Moseley Street.
However, the owners have submitted plans to Birmingham City Council for significant changes to the building including the erection of four storey extensions to the north and south facing internal courtyard elevations – which would create an additional 99 bedrooms – the creation of a secondary entrance and the conversion of conference rooms, a bar and cloakroom to create 16 additional bedrooms.
The extensions would be located on the north and south facing internal courtyard elevations from the first to fourth floors. The proposal would result in an additional 24 rooms on the first floor and 25 on each floor from the second to the fourth floors resulting in 99 overall.
The 16 additional guest rooms proposed to the ground floor, replace the existing conference, office and storage rooms on the south side of the building.
The existing staff entrance from Moseley Street would be converted to a secondary guest entrance with the addition of a new passenger lift installation. This would not involve any physical alterations as there is an existing opening in place.
Also proposed are 20 additional cycle spaces to the new guest entrance on Moseley Street. The existing stairs would be retained and fitted with a wheeling ramp to allow cyclists to get their cycles safely to ground floor level.
The hotel was originally constructed in 1903-1904 as the Rowton House Hostel, which was used to provide temporary accommodation for men seeking permanent employment within Birmingham. The building was converted into the Chamberlain Hotel in 1993 but subsequently underwent a number of alterations and name changes until acquired by the present owners.
The plans are set to be discussed at Birmingham’s planning committee tomorrow (Thursday), where the recommendation is to approve.
