Andy Thornton

September 25, 2007

Official opening of the Westminster Suite, Chester Grosvenor & Spa

After an intensive 13 week refurbishment programme, the Westminster Suite at The Chester Grosvenor and Spa reopened to critical acclaim on 4th September. Following the extensive £3 million investment, the suite at the famous five red star hotel and spa now combines cutting edge technology and traditional elegance to create a meeting and private dining venue that is second to none.

The hotel conducted a huge amount of research into the UK Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions market before embarking on this major development. Commenting on the investment, Managing Director Jonathan Slater said, “The UK conference market is becoming more competitive than ever and we believe in taking a pro-active approach to this fast moving sector of the industry."

The design brief was to create a sophisticated yet multi-functional meeting and private dining space and also to ensure the latest intelligent technology was incorporated at all levels of the renovation.

Crucial to ensuring the success of the development was the selection of designers and project managers Tropus, headed by Managing Director Graham Farrer and principal contractor Andy Thornton Ltd, headed by Contracts Director Chris Wilcock. Both companies have worked closely with the hotel for many years on various stages of its development.

Andy Thornton was responsible for the complete refurbishment of the Westminster Suite, from the strip-out of the existing venue back to the original shell, to the creation of new layouts for both the conference facilities and private dining areas. This included decorative acoustic ceilings and partitions, floor coverings and decorations.

The company also completely fitted out a new high-tech kitchen dedicated to the suite, and created new offices, cloakrooms and toilets. They even provided a new external fire escape to meet the latest fire regulations.

The new Westminster Suite now features the very latest audio-visual equipment, Wi-Fi access for all delegates, and a unique flexibility of space thanks to revolutionary soundproofing technology. It is now the epitome of style and substance for the 21st Century. It has exceeded expectations in every way and has positioned the conference facilities in the hotel amongst the best in the country, proving a competitive edge not only locally but nationally and internationally.

Said Andy Thornton Contracts Director Chris Wilcock, “Not many contractors would have contemplated taking on a project of this size to such a tight deadline. It is a pleasure to confirm that we justified the hotel’s confidence in us by delivering on time and to budget."

Commenting on the recent unveiling, the hotel’s Managing Director, Jonathan Slater, said, “To completely renovate and remodel a meetings and events venue on this scale in just 13 weeks was always a daunting prospect, but everyone involved in the project has pulled together to achieve exactly the results we were aiming for. The new Westminster Suite has been extremely well received by our clients and will only add to and improve upon the hotel’s reputation for excellence."