A squatter living in one of the former finest hotels in the UK has the whole space to himself. Tom, 30, moved into the Grosvenor Hotel one day when he pushed at a key card door only to discover it was unlocked and opened with ease.
The 150-year-old hotel has been left unused and decrepit for roughly two decades with all the furniture falling rotten and graffiti painted all over the walls. Since finding his way in, Tom has begun living in the abandoned hotel which was built in 1875 - in fact, Tom has begun work on improving the space.
The moment the sun goes down, Tom climbs the grand staircase to use the many rooms at his disposal, putting the work in to tidy them up and return them to a habitable state. He enjoys the breathtaking views of Bristol the hotel provides, Wales Online reports.
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It's not all a paradise, however, since he has to dodge precarious floors and stay wary of non-existent ceilings. He has created his own living room in the building with a sofa, table and a few chairs while clearing all the rubbish off the floor - he has even painted a few of the walls.
He said: "You can tell this place used to be the real crème de la crème.
"Some of the wood, the dark mahogany wood, the wallpaper, the ornateness around the high ceilings, the detailed work. 'There is so much heritage here. The people who have come through this place are amazing.
“This is a wonderful building, there’s loads to it that I really enjoy. And to have a safe space inside.''
Tom reckons the hotel could be used to house Ukrainians escaping the war, saying "maybe this hotel could be an answer to some short-term problems." He grew up in Hertfordshire and has only lived in Bristol for six weeks and has struggled to find any official support after leaving rehab.
Tom said: “I had found a key card down an alleyway and it just happened that when I used it on the swipe, the door opened. But the door was already open. I thought it was to do with the key card but it really wasn’t. I’m gradually, slowly tidying up each room one at a time."
The decrepit building has been the subject of a planning row, meaning Tom could be its last ever resident with it being considered an "eyesore" near Temple Meads rail station. A report updating Bristol City Council plans to use a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to acquire the former hotel in order to redevelop the land on which it is located.
A ‘decision pathway’ submitted to cabinet includes plans for a Joint Development & Land Agreement (JDLA) for the development of the Temple Square site (including another former hotel, the George & Railway) and the purchase of Station Approach, as well as the proposed acquisition of land at Temple Square including the former Grosvenor Hotel.
The proposed CPO of the Grosvenor is part of a scheme expected to cost between £16.67m and £19.67m promised to deliver “significant city benefits… as an outcome of the long term economic growth driven by the George and Railway project alongside the wider regeneration achieved through a joint development and land agreement”.
A final decision on the building will be taken by Bristol's Cabinet with Bristol City Council senior development surveyor, Jan Reichel, saying in her report: “The development will have the potential to achieve high sustainability outcomes, based on design proposals and the excellent accessibility of the developments at the heart of the Temple Quarter and near to Temple Meads Station.”
Tom added: "I often think about the transition between the people on the outside of the building going about their day to day, trying to race for something. I’m sat here with infinite time, trying to collect myself in my own bits of meditation, but at the same time feeling like I can keep myself busy as there’s a lot to do”.
The council intends to buy land at Temple Square including the former Grosvenor Hotel “to support the wider redevelopment and regeneration of the Temple Quarter area.”
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