Roseate Reading Hotel
{{Short description|Boutique hotel in Reading, Berkshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox hotel
| hotel_name = The Roseate Reading
| logo =
| logo_width =
| logo_caption =
| image = Roseate Hotel and Crown Court.jpg
| caption = Roseate Hotel, with Reading Crown Court to left
| pushpin_map = United Kingdom Reading Central
| location = Reading, Berkshire, UK
| address = 26 The Forbury
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 3EJ
| coordinates = {{coord|51.4562|N|0.9673|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_type =
| opening_date = 2006
| closing_date =
| developer =
| architect = Septimus Warwick
H Austen Hall
| operator =
| owner =
| cost = £10.2m{{cite web|title=Latest victims of the credit crunch|url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2046953_latest_victims_of_the_credit_crunch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195550/http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2046953_latest_victims_of_the_credit_crunch|archive-date=21 March 2012|publisher=Reading Post|access-date=19 January 2015}}
| number_of_rooms = 55
| number_of_suites =
| number_of_restaurants = 1
| floor_area =
| floors = 4
| height =
| parking =
| website = {{URL|roseatehotels.com/reading/theroseate/}}
| footnotes =
| embedded =
{{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Grade II Listed Building
| designation1_offname = Shire Hall, Reading
| designation1_date = 26 July 1973
| designation1_number = {{National Heritage List for England|num=1113475|short=y}}
}}
}}
The Roseate Reading Hotel (formerly the Forbury Hotel) is a boutique hotel in Reading, Berkshire, England. It is situated in the Forbury, formerly a part of Reading Abbey, and on the southern side of the modern Forbury Gardens. The building that forms the front section of the hotel was the Shire Hall for the County of Berkshire, built in 1911 and used as such until 1981, and is a grade II listed building.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1113475|desc=Shire Hall, Reading|accessdate=13 August 2019}}
History
File:The Berkshire County Hall.jpg
Since Berkshire County Council had been formed in 1889, meetings of the full council had taken place in the assize courts.{{cite web | title = From old Shire Hall to sheer class | url = http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2000531_from_old_shire_hall_to_sheer_class | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321195608/http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2000531_from_old_shire_hall_to_sheer_class | archive-date = 21 March 2012 | publisher = Reading Post | date = 2 March 2006 | access-date = 19 January 2015}} Following continuing increases in the responsibilities of the county council, county leaders chose to procure a new purpose-built Shire Hall for council officers and their departments: the site selected on the southern side of Forbury Gardens had been occupied by buildings associated with the Royal Berkshire Seed Establishment.{{cite web|url=https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/471860/173597/13/100071|title=Ordnance Survey Map|year=1879|access-date=25 October 2020}}
The new building, which was designed by Septimus Warwick and H Austen Hall in the Queen Anne style, was built by E. C. Hughes of Wokingham and opened as the Shire Hall in 1911.{{cite web|url=https://www.theartssocietywokingham.org.uk/DocumentStore/Hidden%20Reading%20notes.pdf|title=Victorian Architecture in Reading|publisher=The Arts Society Wokingham|date=3 April 2019|page=7|access-date=24 October 2020}} The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto The Forbury; the ground floor, which was faced in Portland stone, featured a three-bay portico in antis with Doric order columns while the first and second floors featured casement windows with a red brick background. The building accommodated the administrative staff of Berkshire County Council while full council meetings continued to be held in the assize courts next door.
In 1981 the council moved to a new Shire Hall at Shinfield Park and subsequently the building was converted for commercial use. After renovations led by the Waterbridge Group, a developer, it re-opened as the Forbury Hotel in 2006.{{cite web|url=https://www.getreading.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/remnants-old-reading-december-4-6366054|title=Remnants of old Reading: December 4|date=4 December 2013|publisher=Get Reading| access-date=24 October 2020}} The council chamber was converted into a restaurant known as the "Eden Room".{{cite web|url=https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/behind-scenes-forbury-hotel-reading-10972592|title=Behind the scenes at The Forbury Hotel in Reading|date=2 March 2016|publisher=Get Reading|access-date=14 November 2020}}
In 2009 the owners got into financial difficulties and the hotel was placed in administration.{{cite web|url=https://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Article/2009/03/12/The-Forbury-Hotel-goes-into-administration|title=The Forbury Hotel goes into administration|date=12 March 2009|publisher=Big Hospitality|access-date=14 November 2020}} After being bought out of administration by Von Essen,{{cite web|url=https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/business/von-essen-acquires-forbury-hotel-4233543|title=von Essen acquires The Forbury Hotel|date=1 October 2009|publisher=Get Reading|access-date=14 November 2020}} it was acquired by the Bird Group in 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/hotel/bird-hospitality-reveals-further-uk-hotel-plans|title=Bird Hospitality reveals further UK hotel plans|date=3 May 2017|publisher=The Caterer|access-date=14 November 2020}} Then, after the conversion of 17 apartments into 34 additional hotel bedrooms which was undertaken at a cost of £3.5 million, the hotel re-opened as the Roseate Reading in June 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecaterer.com/news/hotel/roseate-reading-completes-35m-refurbishment|title=Roseate Reading completes £3.5m refurbishment|date=17 June 2019|publisher=The Caterer|access-date=14 November 2020}}
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References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}
- {{Official}}
{{Listed buildings in Reading}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roseate Reading}}
Category:Grade II listed buildings in Reading
Category:Hotels in Reading, Berkshire
Category:Government buildings completed in 1911