South West

Check in at No.131

No.131 Crazy Eights, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Located at 131 Promenade, Cheltenham, No.131 is a boutique hotel comprising 11 bedrooms and a restaurant and bar, Crazy Eights.

The hotel opened its doors in December 2013 and with an excellent location and a stunning collection of bedrooms the feedback for the hotel has been extremely positive.

No.131 is housed within a Georgian Grade II* Listed building which had been derelict for a number of years before it was transformed into this fantastic new hotel. During the works, care was taken to ensure the unique history of the building remained intact, whilst at the same time it was given a new lease of life.

As part of the building’s transformation from a derelict building, which was formerly an antique centre and then offices, an extension was added to the rear of the building, in order to provide the hotel with Crazy Eights, an inviting restaurant and bar serving small plates and a selection of drinks. The restaurant and bar is split across two floors and captures the quintessential aspects of British cuisine through a carefully considered menu.

No.131 Crazy Eights,  131 Promenade, Cheltenham

Crazy Eights serves up a great selection of dishes from courgette, tomato & mint cavatelli; to flat iron steak, chilli & tomato; and chermoula roast aubergine, pomegranate & almonds. Salads, sandwiches and a selection of counter dishes are available, alongside sides and desserts.

Design-led architectural practice, Michaelis Boyd provided the architectural elements of the project for No.131. The practice has provided services to many prestigious venues within the UK and overseas, including the Williamsburg Hotel, Soho House and Tom’s Kitchen.

Speaking to Premier Hospitality about No.131, Maria Constantinou of Michaelis Boyd, said:

“No.131 is situated within a key location, along the main street, with a park opposite and lots of events taking place all the time. As the building is Grade II* Listed there were restrictions on what we could and couldn’t do with the building. However, this didn’t stop us from transforming the space.”

No.131 Crazy Eights,  131 Promenade, Cheltenham

Michaelis Boyd has lots of experience working with Grade I and * Listed buildings and added in quirky architectural features like an ultra modern conservatory at the rear of the building, creating more bar and dining space. The practice also divided up some of the bedrooms and bathrooms on to different floors, which added to the feel of individuality at the property.

The Lucky Onion was responsible for the interior design at the hotel, specifying and sourcing for the project. Each bedroom at No.131 is individual and has been designed and decorated to offer guests something a little different during their stay. From the derelict space, bedrooms were created and now boast Egyptian cotton linens, distressed plaster walls, artworks by British artists including David Hockney and Sir Peter Blake, hand knitted hot water bottles by Three Thieving Magpies, a mini bar and toiletries by 100 Acres. Additional features include a Nespresso machine, iPod docking station, a Loewe TV with a full Sky entertainment package and access to Apple TV’s full library of movies.

No.131 Crazy Eights,  131 Promenade, Cheltenham

The Lucky Onion’s team worked on the design brief to create a hotel which would appeal to a wide range of people, but still feels like a house or home rather than a hotel. Members of the Lucky Onion team worked on the interior design for the project, from the room layouts, the mood/sample boards to specifying and sourcing everything for the project, from the lighting, flooring, tiling, paints, art, furniture, fabrics, leathers and metal work. They mixed contemporary items with finds from reclamation yards and antiques markets from around Europe. Finding items like antique baths from 1875 and having them enamelled locally. On all their projects, Lucky Onion work with local artisans and makers and on this project created unique pieces for No. 131.

The hotel also includes a terrace and garden, providing guests with an exterior space whereby they can enjoy a drink outside. The drink’s offering is equally as exciting with a tempting list of classic cocktails, alongside a selection of beers, vodkas, gin, whiskey and wine. The wine list is extensive and comprises a collection of English sparkling wines, champagnes, reds and rosés.

Maria said:

“No.131 is the perfect example of the type of work which we like to implement. We are always looking for something a little unique, a little bit quirky. The challenging aspect of this project was the building’s Listed status, as this didn’t give us as much freedom as we perhaps would have liked, but it made for an interesting design process.”

No.131 Crazy Eights,  131 Promenade, Cheltenham

For more information about No.131 and Crazy Eights, please visit: www.no131.com.

Blueridge Flooring

Blueridge Flooring specialise in the supply of wood flooring for mid-to-high-end commercial residential projects. The company originated in Ireland in 2002, before expanding to the UK in 2007, and has worked on many high profile projects, including Karpo Restaurant and Megaro Hotel, London.

Working on 131 and Crazy Eights Blueridge were asked to supply and install a bespoke hand finished distressed engineered oak floor to suitably match the architecture of the Grade 1 listed period building.

Blueridge Flooring Co-Founder, Peter Bonsall, said:

“We always tell our clients, ‘we can bring you shape, we can bring you colour, we can bring you texture’ and for No. 131 wecreated the finish specifically for this project.”

No.131 Crazy Eights,  131 Promenade, Cheltenham

Peter added:

“We earned our stripes by coming up through the ranks and we have built up many years of experience in order to provide exactly what our clients require. We work with designers and interior fit-out companies and spend a great deal of time understanding their needs before we manufacture, install and maintain our products. We always strive to remain with our clients throughout the entire journey.”

 

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Roma Publications