Preston Post Office to be converted to a boutique hotel

Two Preston hotel schemes, Signature Living’s proposal for the historic Post Office site and the Rigby Organisation’s Guild Centre conversion, have been approved by Preston City Council’s planning committee.

Liverpool-based hotel group Signature plans to convert the Post Office building into a 60-bedroom boutique hotel, having bought the Market Square building from the council earlier this year. The plans include an additional two storeys, plus a 170-cover restaurant, wedding and function space and a spa.

The Guild Centre, next to Preston Bus Station, is a 15-storey office building that will be converted into a 105-unit aparthotel in a £10m project. Designed by Frank Whittle Partnership on behalf of owner the Rigby Organisation, the project includes a 10,000 sq ft casino and a 5,000 sq ft spa and leisure area.

There will be a new entrance into the adjoining Guild Hall building, for which planning consent was granted in September for conversion into a leisure scheme including ten-pin bowling, crazy golf, karaoke booths and a sports bar. Together, the Guild Centre and Guild Hall will be rebranded as Villa Urban.