Luxury city centre hotel back in the swing after troubled start and extensive revamp

A LUXURY hotel in Leeds that went into administration early last year, just five months after opening, is finally to reopen.

The New Ellington, a 35 bedroom boutique hotel in York Place, will start trading on Monday and will also house The Gin Bar and an upmarket restaurant.

It had been due to reopen in the spring but this was delayed so an extensive refurbishment could be carried out. The new venue, operated by Bespoke Hotels, will maintain its 1950s jazz theme, with black and white pictures of legends of the genre, including Duke Ellington, after whom it is named.

The hotel’s predecessor, The Ellington, opened for business under different management in September 2008 in a blaze of publicity, with an art deco restaurant overseen by renowned chef Albert Roux and a listing in the Leading Small Hotels of the World directory.

It was the first five-star hotel in Leeds city centre and, with rates starting at 180 per room per night, was devised by David Pantin, a former managing director of Rocco Forte Hotels, before the onset of the financial crisis.

But owner City Retreats Group fell into administration in February last year and the hotel closed its doors soon after.

Two months later administrators confirmed the sale of The Ellington to Edinburgh-based West Register (Realisations) for 3.13m.

Mr Pantin’s own company insisted it was not suffering financial difficulties.

Yesterday Stuart Ward, general manager of the New Ellington, said he thought the fresh venture would offer something different.

“The high-quality food and the bar’s concept – unique to the region – were specifically designed to appeal to the local community. We’ve had a great deal of interest so far and we expect to become very popular with the after-work, evening and weekend crowds.”

The bar, complete with a glass atrium, will feature 16 varieties of gin and its signature cocktail, The Rhubarb Aviator, is made from Yorkshire rhubarb.

Chef James Cooper has previously worked at Middlethorpe Hall in York and Crathorne Hall Hotel in Yarm.