A hotel in Reading that could have been completely demolished has been given a new lease of life.
The Crowne Plaza just south of Caversham Bridge has stood for decades as a place for visitors of the town to stay in a convenient location on the bank of the River Thames.
However, its future as a hotel was put in doubt when it closed in December last year and plans to demolish and replace it have previously surfaced.
A project to replace it with a new 132-bed hotel was rejected by Reading Borough Council back in 2019.
Since then, the Crowne Plaza has been suggested as a site for redevelopment.
But the building has been saved from demolition and replacement after the Village Hotel Club acquired it in January.
The Village Hotel brand already has a pedigree in the area, taking over the former Hilton hotel in Bagshot Road, Bracknell in 2022.
Announcing the news, Gary Davis, chief executive of Village Hotel Club, said: “We are delighted to take ownership of our new site in Reading.
“Building on our successful conversion in Bracknell, the acquisition is another example of significant investment in the area and creates an opportunity to bring our unique and differentiated proposition to guests and local audiences alike.”
The site of the hotel was previously suggested for redevelopment in Reading Borough Council’s Local Plan partial-update process with a number of different options being put on the table.
These options could have involved a complete redevelopment into a site for housing, or a care home, or would have provided a mix of uses through full or partial redevelopment of the hotel with a restaurant.
It was even suggested that the site could have become an electric vehicle charging hub and garage.
These suggestions emerged late in 2023.
However, the site no longer features within the pre-submission draft of the Local Plan partial update approved in November last year, implying it has been removed as a suggested site for redevelopment.
The latest news is that the Village Hotel brand has applied to sell alcohol and host entertainment from 7am to 2am each night.
The company has also applied to serve food and other refreshments between 11pm and 2am each night as well.
These activities have been applied for in a submission to the council’s licensing department.
A statutory consultation into the application is currently live, which you can comment on by emailing licensing@reading.gov.uk.
The deadline for responses is Monday, April 7.
The hotel is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound renovation that includes ‘state of the art’ wellness facilities, a bar and grill and even a Starbucks cafe.
In compliance with suggestions for sustainable transport, ultra-rapid electric vehicle charge points are being installed in the car park.
