Work has finally restarted on a huge 20-storey hotel in Cardiff city centre following the appointment of a new contractor. Custom House – a Grade-II listed building built in the mid-1800s – is being transformed into a Premier Inn which will have 248 bedrooms as well as a restaurant and bar.
At the end of last year there were questions about the progress of the hotel after a public notice was put on the doors stating that the project was currently closed. The halt in the development came after its principal contractor, WRW Construction, based in Llanelli, collapsed in July last year after coming under "significant financial stress".
Planning permission had been granted by Cardiff council back in 2017 for the construction as well as demolition of the York Hotel and most of the empty Custom House. In March 2018 it was announced that Aviva Investors, through its Lime Property Fund, had agreed to fund the scheme at the bottom of St Mary Street in a deal worth £34m.
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Demolition work on the former York Hotel and elements of Custom House was already under way when the deal was announced. The historic façade of the Custom House was kept as part of the development. It was originally going to open in 2019.
A spokesman for Whitbread, which owns Premier Inn, confirmed to WalesOnline that work had recommenced on the hotel, which is being developed by Ascent. "Our development partners have appointed a replacement principal contractor from Cardiff – Carter Lauren – to deliver the hotel. At this stage it is a little too early to confirm the completion date but we hope the new Premier Inn will be open by Christmas next year all being well."
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