Coffee shop opens in Kettering's grandest town centre hotel as renovation plans begin

Kettering’s oldest hotel has reopened its front bar area to the public as a dog-friendly coffee shop as it is brought back for guests.

Now part of the Payman Group the hotel had been used as asylum seeker accommodation – the new owners have already spent close to £1m on renovations.

With paying guests returning to the 40-bedroom hotel and occupancy at 60 to 70 per cent, the business wants people in the town to come back through the doors.

The coffee shop run by the hotel manager Barrie Partridge promises a warm welcome to ‘everybody’ – including four-legged friends – for a sit down and refreshments.

He said: “Everybody is welcome. We’re dog friendly. We’ve had a few people popping in to say it’s nice that we are back open to the community.”

Mr Partridge admits the hotel has a way to go to ‘shake its previous image’ with refurbishment plans under way and units at the front of the hotel to be rented out.

He said: “There are a couple of units that will be going on the market that would suit independent traders. We are building the business back up.”

Coffee shop customers can treat themselves to a coffee and muffin for £4, tea and cake for £3 and every dog gets a free treat – board games are available for visitors.

As well as revitalising the eye-catching architecture, the hotel’s chimneys have been swept ready for open fires, rooms re-wired and new toilets installed.

Other plans will see a wooden herring-bone floor laid in the ‘Gala Hall’ for weddings, events, conferences, parties and proms.