A hotel on Llandudno's promenade has reopened after more than two years following a major investment by the new owners.
The town’s Llandudno Bay, Belmont and Queens hotels and Caer Rhun Hall in the Conwy Valley went into administration in 2019 and closed in March 2020.
Everbright Hotels revealed last year they had bought the Belmont and Llandudno Bay out of administration - and Belmont reopened last autumn. Now, following a significant investment in both the heating and plumbing infrastructure of the hotel and a revamp of rooms Llandudno Bay has reopened.
It has created 39 new jobs in the resort. Everbright also employs more than 20 workers at Belmont and recently bought the Queens Hotel, with big plans for the site.
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A huge amount of the Llandudno Bay investment is behind the scenes that will be experienced rather than seen by guests. Sebastian Gudek, from Aqualogik came in at the end of January with the task of transforming the central heating system. Under previous owners it had suffered with issues when full - with a lottery about which rooms could get hot water.
The new owners knew this had to change and also hoped to reduce its energy use with a more efficient system - something that is both good for the climate and running costs. This is particularly important after the recent hikes in gas and electric prices.
The place was previously 95% heated by electric with the price of electricity so high there was a massive cost to keep the hotel at a temperature to keep the guests comfortable. Sebastian said: "We worked out on that system it would cost between £130,000 and £140,000 a year, depending on the weather outside over the year."
They have instead moved to a new gas central heating system with new boilers - with the potential to move to heat pumps in the future. The new system also uses special copper and aluminium radiators that mean it can operate effectively with 600 litres of water - compared to 2,500 litres with a traditional steel radiator system.
This means a huge saving on heating that water and it can also work effectively with the boilers operating at a lower temperature than would be needed under an older system. The system also breaks the hotel into 90 different zones with control over each area to ensure heat is provided exactly where it is needed - therefore reducing waste.
There are temperature sensors keeping a close watch on this. They believe the new annual cost will be around £35,000 a year - helping the hotel stay competitive and drastically reducing Co2 emissions.
Sebastian added: "The hotel is also now far better at adjusting room temperatures based on customer needs and they have control of that in their rooms. It means a better experience and a better sleep for customers."
Everbright press officer Adrian Barsby said the business is joining Green Key. This is an international body that monitors environmental responsibility and sustainable operations at businesses.
He said: "The business benefit is that Google recognises that, they know that is also is not just a 'tick-box' exercise, you actually have to commit to doing things and Green Key come along and monitor at least annually. We are also finding that customers, individuals and corporate brands, are asking about this. They want to see what you are doing and evidence you are doing it.
"So it is commercially beneficial but also the right thing to do."
It has been a major investment although they will recoup that with ongoing savings in energy costs. Adrian said: "The bits you can't see, we have spent circa £200,000 on. A lot of places spend on a lick of paint outside - we are making a big investment in the foundations of the hotel. A proportion of the money we have spent here won't be seen but will be experienced by customers."
On top of this they have spent a similar figure on rooms and public areas. The hotel opened on Good Friday and has already seen strong demand for bedrooms in the coming months.
They have also managed to recruit successfully despite issues with that in the sector with Adrian saying they believe they've created a good environment for staff to work in. This has helped them attract people and retain all those who came for training.
The group also owns The Wild Pheasant in Llangollen and Rossett Hall, between Wrexham and Chester.
