The hotel group will spend £35m to redevelop the building, which sits in the Bath Conservation Area and is currently a vacant office block. Apex aims to open a four-star hotel with extensive conference facilities.
Demolition work will begin on the building later this year, with the construction of the new hotel scheduled to begin in May 2015. Edinburgh firm Ian Springford Architects will oversee the development of the project and the hotel is expected to open in the autumn of 2016.
Chairman of Apex Hotels Norman Springford said: “This is a rare and exciting growth opportunity for Apex to add to our portfolio and have a presence in a popular UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our properties have developed a great reputation and we hope to emulate this with the opening of our property in Bath.”
The hotel is Apex’s ninth venture and first in the city of Bath. The group currently operates and owns three hotels in London, four in Edinburgh and one in Dundee.
Tourist destination
The Bath hotel will be located on the corner of Charles Street and James Street West. The city centre location is close to a number of local tourist attractions, including the famous Roman baths which are 200 metres away from the site.
“Bath is a beautiful city with world-class attractions, festivals and events that attract visitors all year round,” said Angela Vickers, managing director of Apex Hotels.
“We are looking forward to getting to know new partners and working within the local community.”
The site is only a few minutes’ walk from the Bath Spa train station which offers good rail links to other major UK cities, including London which is a 90-minute journey away.