Shrewsbury town centre hotel gains four star rating
A Shrewsbury hotel has become the first town centre establishment to secure a coveted four-star listing.
The Prince Rupert Hotel, in Butcher Row, has been accredited by AA inspectors, and the family running the hotel are delighted with their success.
Owner Mike Matthews said: “The four star rating is fantastic news both for our hotel and for Shrewsbury as a whole. It’s the first time there has been such highly-rated accommodation at the heart of the town, and it really will help put the destination on the map when it comes to competing with other towns across the UK.
“And even more excitingly, the rating opens up completely new markets for us including the USA and the Far East, as guests from these countries traditionally prefer four-star accommodation.”
The hotel is owned by Mike and his wife, Diane, and they say the high profile listing comes as a direct result of the family’s ongoing £1 million refurbishment programme.
“We’ve worked extremely hard as a family to continuously improve the hotel with a major investment in transforming many of the 70 bathrooms including Italian tiles and bespoke granite fittings. We’ve also completely transformed the 12th Century mansion house suites and 15th century Tudor suites – the most historic areas of the hotel.”
And it’s not only the property that has changed – Mike’s children James and Camilla have returned to their home town to take over the day-to-day operation of the hotel.
James first began work at The Prince Rupert Hotel as a teenager, and he has now rejoined the family business as general manager. He has held senior management positions at the five-star Cliveden House, Chewton Glen and The Ritz in London, and is looking forward to bringing his experience back to Shrewsbury.
Camilla trained at the five-star Michelin awarded Lucknam Park, and will be helping her brother to make sure the hotel continues to shine in the 21st century. In particular, they will be developing the cuisine in the well-loved Royalist Restaurant and their objective is to achieve at least two rosettes.
Mike said: “Despite the impressive AA listing, we will not rest on our laurels, and we have ambitious plans for the future including a luxurious loft suite, 60-seat exterior courtyard, a re-launch of Chambers Bistro, and a complete refurbishment of the lounge and lobby. This is an incredibly exciting time for the hotel, and we’re delighted that our commitment and dedication to The Prince Rupert and the town have been recognised in such a high profile way.”
