The Albert Hotel will reopen next month and the new owners have some exciting plans for the venue
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A popular west Hull pub is set to reopen just a few weeks after the shock announcement it was closing.
The Albert Hotel, a popular haunt on match days, shut its doors on Friday, March 24, after seven years in business under its current management. The financial climate was cited as the main reason for the closure, much to the disappointment of its regulars.
The news came after a turbulent few weeks for independent businesses in Hull, when several firms in the hospitality industry revealed they were closing.
Read more:Popular Anlaby Road pub announces closure with 'heavy hearts'
But now, the pub in Anlaby Road has been snapped up by new owners who aim to attract a new generation of customers and also plan to reopen the hotel.
Gareth, 30, and Louise, 25, who have both been customers at the Albert in the past, have now bought the pub outright and have ambitious plans and will open up on June 2.
Gareth said: “We are trying to bring in a younger generation, I am only 30 myself and my partner is 25 so we want to attract a new crowd which will hopefully make it more sustainable.
“We want to make it more family-friendly and we are looking to build a kids’ outdoor play area. We are also turning the rest of the building back into a hotel. We hope to open the hotel in July or August and it will have a Premier Inn feel but it will be cheaper.
“Our focus is getting the pub open so there won’t be many changes in the pub itself which is in good shape. But we will be making some changes and will give the pub more of a rustic feel and ensure it is more family-friendly. We are creating a new cocktail menu and we may look at serving food in the future.”
But the new owners will still be keeping some of the events that have made the pub such a popular venue in the past.
Gareth said: “We will still have the bingo for pensioners on a Wednesday and we hope all the regulars come back as well. But we are looking at other events like a house music night on Fridays to bring in the younger crowd.
“We understand some places have been struggling and people may wonder why we have done this. But we think we can make a success of this. We hope we can welcome some new faces and regulars when we reopen.”
The Albert last had a major refurbishment in 2017 when £1m was spent on it to remodel and modernise it. The pub will now open once more at 12pm on Friday, June 2 with the hotel set to open a couple of months later.
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