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00:00The one thing that has remained the same at the Castle of Brecon Hotel is the view, with
00:04its stunning natural landscape. But that isn't what people came to see the night before its
00:09grand reopening.
00:10The whole fabric of the building has been changed to make that flow better.
00:15The Castle of Brecon Hotel closed in October 2024 and on 10 April business owners, locals
00:20to the area and political representatives were invited to a VIP evening to see the work
00:26that has been completed.
00:27We want people to feel like it's home from home.
00:30Mike Pope is the general manager, bringing years of experience.
00:34He says that some of the transformations, which includes the old ballroom being changed
00:38into an artwork-led dining room, are magnificent.
00:40You can't, you really can't.
00:42It's like a picture postcard view out there.
00:45We're so fortunate and we're so blessed to have that right on our doorstep.
00:50We want it to pop, we want it to feel historical, we want it to feel classic, we want it to feel
00:54modern. And it's hard to do all those things. And this used to just be a bit boring for weddings.
01:00Now obviously we've changed the use. So now we've got the booths. It's there for family dining.
01:07It's there if you want to just come for a normal meal. If you want a special occasion.
01:11This room does it all.
01:16The castle of Brecon Hotel has been an iconic staple piece within the town, richly complementing
01:21the history of Brecon Castle. Now, following an extensive £3 million refurbishment, it reopens
01:28to the public again for the first time on the 11th of April, creating over 55 jobs.
01:33We've hired over 50 people and we are still looking for a few other people who just to fill the gaps
01:44to make that perfect team. It had had its day really, you know, it was a rundown building and the
01:51property needed real investment. A lick of paint was never going to do the job. It's something that
01:56Brecon should be really proud of because we're really proud of what's been done.
02:01And what do locals think of the new and improved hotel?
02:04Absolutely beautiful. It's stunning. It's about time somebody invested in it.
02:09It's nice to have some quality. It's gorgeous, yeah. Perfect, yeah.
02:12With the wine to sit and look at Pennevan and be in beautiful surroundings, it'll be a pleasure
02:18to come back up here. I think it looks better than we could have ever hoped for really.
02:24Yeah, it's just incredible. I'm looking forward to spending many evening, afternoon.
02:29Are you going to book a stay?
02:31Oh, I only live up the rope. I'm a bit tempted to tell you the truth.
02:35I know, I know. Maybe just a girls weekend.
02:37Is that really wrong and self-indulgent?
02:39We could just do a girls weekend.
02:42It's a radically different look to how it's been. The artwork, which some of it's very sort of
02:49unusual and funky and some of it is localised and some of it's connected with Welsh castles and
02:54the things in nature and it's great to pretty much spend a lot of the time coming around just like
02:59looking around the Tate Modern or somewhere. I think it's great to have a new chapter for the
03:03Castle Hotel in Brecon. I think people have always done their best to try and keep this place going
03:08and to keep it as a place that's rooted in the community, but it's good to see what you know
03:12multi-million pound investment can do for the place and I think Brecon deserves this high quality venue
03:18in our community that brings tourists in but also makes a contribution in terms of jobs and the economy too.
03:24Richard Lewis, CEO of Red Cat Hospitality, who looks after the Cochinning Group, knew he had to invest
03:30in the hotel's future. I'm really proud of what we've created here. I think it's a fantastic site.
03:37It's a lovely environment. We've got an amazing team here, really passionate about the local area
03:44and really excited about the changes that they've made.
03:46You know, giving back to a building like this that's so iconic, you know, I think was well worth
03:51the wait and I'm not sure we have anything close to this in terms of, like I said, being attached to
03:56a castle. It's quite unique.
04:00As the sun sets on the VIP evening, the investment to the Castle of Brecon Hotel is another part of its
04:06rich history, preserving it to be enjoyed for many more years to come. Jack Strange, Brecon and Radnor Express.
04:16Thanks, Brecon.
04:17...