Young's to open Alma hotel
Brewer and pub operator Young's is to launch a new hotel next week.
The new accommodation wing at its Alma pub in Wandsworth will open following an investment of £2.7m and sees the brewer reinventing the concept of the traditional coaching inn by offering eating, drinking and sleeping, all under one roof.
The extension at the Alma is part of Young's renewed focus on hotels and sees the company add 23 rooms to its 348 bedroom-stock.
Young's has preserved the best features of the original site, a pub since Victorian times, but added boutique-style bedrooms in an accommodation wing that includes several suites.
A Garden Suite has two bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as exclusive use of a private garden, while three Tonsley Views rooms, named after the local streets, feature floor-to-ceiling windows with views over the neighbouring rooftops.
Designed by award-winning hotel designers RDD (Browns Hotel, Compleat Angler and Guoman Tower Hill), the Alma's bedrooms feature bespoke furniture, textured fabrics and Osborne & Little wallpaper. In-room facilities include luxury Egyptian cotton bed linen, flat screen TVs, complimentary WiFi, White Company toiletries and mini-bars, with superior rooms offering bathrobes and slippers.
A 24-hour front desk service and round-the-clock room service further enhance the traditional pub accommodation model.
Overnight stays are reasonably priced with opening rates from £99 for bed and breakfast. Best rate guaranteed will be available at www.almawandsworth.com.
The pub and dining room remain at the heart of the Alma and both have been refurbished.
Guests can eat in the pub's dining room or the bar itself — wherever they choose they are guaranteed classic English comfort food and pub classics, using fresh ingredients sourced wherever possible from British suppliers.
The drinks offer includes speciality beers and cask ales from Young's Brewery and Sambrook's brewery in nearby Battersea, as well as an extensive wine list.
Private events can take place in the newly renovated first floor Bramford Room.
The events space has a capacity for up to 80 guests and offers full-service conference and events facilities as well as a licence for wedding ceremonies.
Patrick Dardis, Young's retail director, said: "This is a natural evolution for the brand — the coaching inn concept allows us to keep our pub identity whilst adding value and quality to our estate."
Young's has invested a total of £6m in its hotels and will see it add over 100 rooms to its portfolio in 2011, including one new-build property in London.
