A major refurbishment of a prominent Anglesey hotel overlooking the Menai Strait is starting in October.

The Victoria Hotel, in Menai Bridge, will temporarily close to guests from Monday, October 17, until the multi-million pound improvement project is completed in the spring.

The hotel will reopen as part of the Chef & Brewer Collection, and will remain as a hotel and community pub, with a new restaurant and remodelled garden making the most of the stunning views over the Menai Strait.

General manager, Adam Cook, said:

“It’s a really exciting time for the team here at The Victoria. The hotel has stood overlooking the magnificent Menai Strait since the mid-1800s and when the team and I took on the hotel earlier in the year, we’ve been immensely proud to be able to begin developing the future of the site, retaining its important and prominent position within the community.

“We are hugely excited about the future. Our plans involve a full but sympathetic refurbishment, which will involve completely stripping out the interior and replacing with high quality fixtures and fittings throughout.

“We are reconfiguring the bedrooms to expand the accommodation, which will include a number of dog-friendly rooms, and replacing the conservatory with a new restaurant which will provide amazing views over the Menai Strait.

“The real jewel in the crown is of course the garden, which will be vastly improved to make the most of its stunning location, including an outside bar and heated covered areas so it can be enjoyed all year round.”

As a result of the extensive investment, a large recruitment drive will start in the new year, with the investment delivering around 50 new jobs to the area ahead of its opening in the spring.

Every member of staff who worked under the previous ownership has been retained, with Adam hailing their local knowledge.

“We are delighted to have been able to keep on every member of staff who wanted to remain with The Victoria,” he said. “Some of the team have been here for up to 40 years, so their knowledge and understanding of our guests is invaluable.

“We have a number of Welsh speakers already on the team and will be keen to expand on that. I would also like to reassure guests that all menus and signage will be bilingual too.

“We are working hard to keep our guests and local community informed about the progress of the refurbishment project, and we hope they are as excited as us about the future for The Victoria.”