The Mere Golf Resort & Spa in Cheshire is to begin a major renovation project this month which will see a host of new facilities and the Knutsford-based resort relaunched as the Fairmont Cheshire The Mere.
Russell WBHO has been appointed by UAE-based Select Group which will operate the resort under the Accor Fairmont brand.
The project involves upgrading all 87 existing guest rooms and adding another 29 across the main building and a new-build extension, completing 116 bedrooms in total, 12 of which will be suites.
A new entrance and reception will be created in the main building, and new kitchens added. The conference centre will be expanded with a two-storey extension and a new Golf Pavilion will be added to serve users of the 18-hole championship course.
Following enabling works earlier this year, the main project gets underway this month and will complete in summer 2025. The hotel will be closed to guests for the duration, but the golf course and Spa facilities will remain open.
Russell WBHO was appointed to the project following its successful delivery of a number of similar high-end hotel projects. The team has been working with Select Group and architect Leach Rhodes Walker to prepare the programme.
Rahail Aslam, founder and Group CEO for Select Group, commented: “The new Fairmont Cheshire The Mere will be the North West’s most exclusive golf spa resort, offering guests unrivalled luxury right here in the heart of Cheshire. We are delighted to appoint Russell WBHO to deliver our vision and to see work getting started later this month.”
This will be the UK’s fourth Fairmont Hotel, ranking alongside The Savoy in London, Fairmonth St Andrews and Fairmont Windsor Park in Berkshire. It will also be home to a new Peruvian restaurant.
Gareth Russell, Russell WBHO managing director, added: “We are extremely pleased to have been appointed on the new prestigious hotel project and we look forward to adding another high-end brand to our portfolio.
“Thanks to the client’s approach to collaborative working, we’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Select Group and the architect from the early stages on this exciting conversion programme. Together we have appointed an exceptional team to ensure this project will deliver the facilities and quality of finish that guests expect of a Fairmont resort.”