The Grade-II listed site will re-open with 19 bedrooms, plus a 25-cover bar, and a 120-capacity wedding and events hall. It will seek to champion Welsh-based produce and art, as well as honour the town’s location as the home of the annual literary Hay Festival.
The completion of the works comes just over a year after the property was acquired by Llangoed Limited in late 2015, which also owns sister hotels Llangoed Hall in Wales (part of the Relais & Chateaux group), and the four AA-star, three AA-Rosette Sudbury House in Oxfordshire.
At the time of the acquisition, managing director Calum Milne explained that The Swan at Hay would undergo extensive refurbishment, especially in the bedrooms and in replacing the roof to “a more comfortable standard”.
Although the group did not plan to bring the restaurant to “the same level” as Llangoed Hall, it would still serve “very good food”, he said.
Now, the 30-cover restaurant will open with head chef Jerry Adam, who has created a new modern, local menu, including seasonal Welsh dishes using produce from Welsh suppliers.
Chef Adam has joined from his previous role at Michelin-starred restaurant Ynyshir (also in Wales) and brings three years’ experience from Llangoed Hall, and the Michelin-starred Bath Priory.
The hotel will also offer a small library, to celebrate Hay-on-Wye’s famous literary heritage. This will offer guests the chance to take out books, provide maps to the town’s many varied bookshops, and also host a series of literary salons with visiting writers.
Continuing the hyperlocal theme, the property’s artwork has been purchased from local gallery The Lion Street Gallery, the crockery was made in Hay-on-Wye by Pauline Patterson, and the coffee will be Black Mountain Roast, made in Wales in small batches.
Similarly, the bathroom toiletries will be provided in partnership with local social enterprise, the Myffdai Trading Company, to help support challenged adults.
The hotel’s general manager, Ronan Hunter, whose experience includes five years at the Celtic Manor Resort, as well as at the Michelin-starred Castle Hotel in Taunton, and the Crown at Whitebrook restaurant with rooms, said: “We are in our final phase of a big refurbishment programme which has lasted over a year and we are very excited about our imminent launch.
“We have worked with many local organisations and individuals helping to drive the local economy. I look forward to a successful 2017.”