An Art Deco hotel which once hosted visits from Coco Chanel and Laurence Olivier is due to re-open in Morecambe Bay next month following a £10m refurb.
Property developer Urban Splash has spent more than five years restoring the 44 bedroom Midland Hotel to its former glory after it closed almost as a ruin in 1998.
Originally built in the 1930s, the Grade II listed building has been rebuilt with the help of grants from the the Northwest regional Development Agency and English Heritage and is part of plans to regenerate the northern seaside resort.
Belgian Olivier Delaunoy has been appointed Operations Director and with House Manager Matt Redhead, has been in charge of recruiting 44 "unconventional" members of staff.
“The Midland Hotel is much more than a beautiful Art Deco building and it really will be a unique place to work. We’re looking for people who, like us, are brave enough to challenge conventional ideas and do things differently,” said Delaunoy.
The hotel features eight different room styles, including six roof top suites, two of which have their own private terrace and hot tubs.
A British seaside inspired menu will be served in the Bayside restaurant and the hotel’s rotunda bar has been fitted with floor to ceiling glazing that opens out to the sea front.
Urban Splash have rebuilt the venue with a spa and three function suites. Sculptures produced for the hotel by 20th century sculptor Eric Gill have also been restored. One of Gill’s last works, a Portland Stone relief featuring Odysseus and Naucsica, has been returned to its original position in the hotel lobby.
“There’s a huge amount of anticipation locally, nationally and internationally for the hotel to re-open, we’ve had tons of enquiries from people wanting to know when they can come and stay. We’re really looking forward to opening her beautiful glass front doors again,” said Delaunoy.