The Chester Hotel has applied for planning permission to extend the hotel into the neighbouring properties at 55 – 57 Queen’s Road, Aberdeen which were purchased in November 2017.
At the time of buying the adjacent granite villas, the site had planning permission for an extension which would have significantly increased the footprint of the buildings and provided 90 bedrooms in total. The Chester Hotel is seeking planning permission for a smaller extension which is believed to be far more in keeping with the character of the Category B listed buildings.
The new plans will see the demolition of an existing large extension, which formerly housed the nursery of the Hamilton School, which will be replaced by a new addition with a footprint of 14m x 4m. The hotel’s bar will double in size and 22 new bedrooms will be created, in addition to The Chester Hotel’s existing 50 bedrooms and suites.
Stephen Gow, General Manager at The Chester Hotel says of the plans, “We’re seeking to replace what we considered to be a disproportionately sized extension for the footprint of the site with a minimal extension to the original building. The plans are sympathetic to the stature and scale of buildings in Queens Road and will, with minimal intervention, knit the fabric of the existing Chester Hotel into the new properties.
“We’re sympathetic to the architectural integrity of all of our Chester properties and have a track record of restoring listed buildings considerately, retaining their character and providing our guests, both here in Aberdeen and in Edinburgh, with a luxurious experience.
“By removing some inappropriate building additions, which we believe are out of scale with the buildings at 55 – 57 Queens Road, we’ll hugely reduce what was the proposed developed area of the site. Our new plans will remain sheltered in the existing footprint and will be in keeping with our west end location.
“We have confidence in the market in Aberdeen and remain positive that our business will continue to grow. This major investment cements our position as one of the city’s – and Scotland’s – leading independent hotels.”