The Chequers Hotel has been one of the most strategic planning undertakings we have ever encountered at Engaging Interiors. This Grade 2 listed town centre hotel, with function rooms and a bar, was created out of four adjoining buildings, all on different levels. The design brief from independent hotel owner Simon was to make the hotel speak to the people of Newbury, and to bring the high street site to life. The other issue we wanted to address was how people circulated around the building, as the current reception desk was hidden from the entrances, and the varying floor levels and steps leading to a revolving door made disabled access problematic.
Space Planning of The Chequers Hotel
We reinvigorated the public spaces by moving the bar and restaurant to more prominent rooms. We then set to work designing the restaurant and bar to make them more engaging and atmospheric. We improved the circulation by forming a new entrance on the high street that would enable restaurant customers to enter the restaurant without having to walk through the rest of the hotel. This new entrance also provides an alternative access route if the main steps and doors are difficult. We also raised the new bar floor to create level access and updated the cloakroom layout to incorporate disabled access. The new interior design has meant the hotel is busier throughout the day, and is used more regularly and in more ways by the locals of Newbury.
