Hotel renovation wins national award

A multi-million-pound project backed by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership to turn a historic building in Buxton into a luxurious hotel has won a top national award.

The £68 million Buxton Crescent Health Spa Hotel project was named Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project of the Year at the 2022 RICS Awards Grand Final.

Held in London, the awards, which are run by property industry trade body the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, brought together winners from 12 regional ceremonies across the UK.

They celebrate the UK’s most inspirational projects that are having a significant positive impact on the communities they serve.

Ensana Hotels opened Buxton Crescent Health Spa Hotel in 2020.

Created at one of England’s most significant Georgian architectural buildings, the hotel revives the water wellness traditions of the historic spa town of Buxton, with guests able to experience the therapeutic qualities of the water for themselves.

The property comprises 81 rooms and suites and is home to three pools, including the ‘thermal pool’, which is a fully refurbished Victorian pool boasting the unique feature of having Buxton mineral rich water flowing into it, which is heated and left chemically untreated.

The transformation was made possible thanks to one of the largest grants ever awarded from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and significant support from other stakeholders, including the D2N2 LEP through the Local Growth Fund.

Chairman of the RICS judging panel David Brooks-Wilson said: “The judging panel and I were so impressed with the dedication of the teams behind these winning projects.

“They are a true testament to the tireless dedication of industry professionals across the UK. Their talent and collaborative approaches have resulted in exemplary and innovative schemes that really do represent the very best built projects across the regions.

“Each of the winning projects is having a profoundly positive impact on their local area and RICS is delighted to recognise the hard work that went behind ensuring these projects were delivered successfully, particularly in such challenging and uncertain times as we navigated through the pandemic.”