Coventry's Telegraph Hotel has been given the civic seal of approval as it opened its doors to guests for the first time.
The Lord Mayor of Coventry, Councillor Ann Lucas, was given the honour of cutting the ribbon and formally heralding in a new era for the former Coventry Telegraph offices.
It comes after months of waiting as the hotel was forced to postpone its opening several times because of the Coronavirus pandemic lockdowns and the tier system.
The outdoor rooftop bar at the Corporation Street-based hotel has already proved extremely popular, having welcomed more than 3,000 people in the past month to experience the cocktails and tapas menu and thousands more are booked in over the weeks to come.
The luxury 4* hotel celebrates the cool Mid-Century style of the former Coventry Telegraph offices thanks to a two-year, £18m investment programme.
The Telegraph Hotel, created by Complex Development Projects, has 88 individually designed air-conditioned bedrooms including loft style penthouse suites on two levels.
The hotel features an all-day cocktail bar and restaurant dining experience, Forme & Chase, for a full meal, light bites, celebration dinners, afternoon tea and more. The bar and restaurant recreate the glamour of the 1950s retaining many of the building's original features.
Conferencing, weddings and events are well catered for with the Editors function space - capable of accommodating up to 160 guests across a range of layouts.
The hotel's most luxurious room is the Lord Iliffe Suite - named after the family who started and until recently owned the newspaper - which includes its own hot tub and outdoor terrace.
There is also the spectacular Winter Garden - which is a private, glazed indoor terrace only accessible from the 11 bedrooms that surround it.
The hotel will be operated by Bespoke Hotels, the largest independent hotel company in the UK.
There are also two private meeting rooms - the Boardroom and Directors - which can each accommodate up to 12 people for smaller meetings and private dinners.
Amy Windsor, General Manager of the Telegraph Hotel, said, 'The opening of the Telegraph has been a long time coming and we have been waiting for many months for the chance to welcome in our first guests to experience this very special building.
'We are absolutely thrilled to finally be up and running properly and letting people see all the work that has gone into creating this beautiful hotel.
'After all the anticipation generated by the Mid-Century building restoration, now is our chance to provide the exemplary service that befits the city's finest hotel. As we start the City of Culture year, I am sure that the hotel will be one of the highlights for the many new visitors coming to Coventry for the first time.
'I would like to say thank you to the Lord Mayor for helping to commemorate the day and officially open the hotel.'
The Lord Mayor of Coventry, Councillor Ann Lucas, said, 'I am delighted to be able to open the hotel and to see the results of this fine restoration project that celebrates Coventry's post war rebirth.
'The attention to detail is outstanding with the building capturing the very essence of Coventry as we start our year celebrating the city's culture. I am sure that the hotel will be a major attraction for locals and visitors alike.
'The city centre has lacked a hotel of this quality for many years and, as my mayoral year comes to a close and we emerge from the pandemic, we can look forward with pride and confidence in our city's future with a hotel that does us proud.'