The History:
The Chase Hotel is an opulent 4-star hotel with over 130 guest rooms complete with an indoor swimming pool, a restaurant, bar, wedding reception facility, 18 conference rooms and a gym, and had been functioning as a hotel/conference centre for decades.
On 23rd March 2020 it was forced to close temporarily after Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation with new coronavirus restrictions, forcing all hospitality venues to close immediately.
The plan was for the hotel to remain shut until Government restrictions were lifted and it was allowed to reopen, however the scale and breadth of the impact coronavirus had on people's willingness to go on holidays and book conferences forced this hotel to close permanently.
It took until May for the hotel company renting the site to predict their losses, and the assumption was made that even when they were allowed to reopen, the loss predictions were too high because of a lack of willing customers and so the decision was subsequently taken to permanently close the hotel.
As for now the hotel will sit empty and accumulating dust.
The landlord has seemingly hired a caretaker to care for the outside area so going during the day could be an issue, hence my 2am explore.
The Explore:
Upon catching wind of its closure, I set off on a reconnaissance mission to discover an entry point since nobody's every explored/got inside it before.
I was sceptical at first, but after discovering a rather dubious if not slightly hazardous way in I managed to squirm myself into one of the bedrooms and begin the explore.
Virtually all the doors inside are open, presumably so air can pullulate through the structure to slow the process of moulding.
The outside of this place is easily more beautiful than the inside. The modern architecture of practicality reigns superior on the inside, but the classical, archaic and antiquated exterior of the old block (right) shows the demonstrable plenitude of affluence this four star establishment once harnessed.
A view from the tennis court which is bizarrely in a way more fiercely sealed than the building itself!
The wedding reception booth shown here, with the elegant and graceful red walkway in the middle.
The first main room I came to was the restaurant which still has everything left inside (which is a recurring theme in this place...) and though the photos make it seem less abandoned, walking around solo in this place it still feels very much abandoned because most of the lights are off as standard apart from the daytime running ones. Through the far doors the darkened bar is visible under the scintillating light of emergency exit signs.
The Private Dining Room conjoined with the restaurant for especially booked meals.
The back of house for the restaurant here. On the left is the restaurant in its normal dark state with the lights off, with the kitchen in front and a staff equipment room through the doorway on the right.
The staff equipment room shown here, with a rather lugubrious message on the whiteboard just out of shot proclaiming thanks to the staff before they left the revolving doors of employment for the last time.
The kitchen lit up like a spark, though there is no food left as it all appears to have been moved into a conference room for later donation to a charity or food bank.
A view from the chef's position.
The pot wash here complete with a revolving spinner for the dirty culinary equipment.
Another back of house room with bar equipment such as glasses, tea-pots and other miscellaneous items. This would have also been a station for conference rooms because of all the business equipment such as notepads and pens etc.
Conference room "Wordsworth 1/2" (all conference rooms appear to be named after authors/poets). The stripping can already be seen to have begun here. Employee equipment is strewn across the nearby tables and kitchen food stocks at the back have been moved hopefully for donation to a food bank or similar institution.
On the far left are large, blue-tarped cages used for the extraction of equipment from the building.
"Bronte 1-3" conference rooms. Partition walls come out to separate the three rooms where necessary.
"Wells" conference room which appears the least emptied of all; though no frippery remains as the tables sit barren and plain.
A very chaotic and dishevelled office room.
The only walkway connecting the accommodation block and the rest of the site; alas the electric door to the left which leads straight out does not work for access and has been locked tight.
Bedrooms are virtually all the same with the exception of the suites which are located only in the old block as opposed to accommodation. There are 120 rooms similar to this one, some containing two beds.
The en suite for the aforementioned bedroom. Not especially characteristic of a 4-star hotel, though these rooms appear to have cost circa~£50/night.
These eerie corridors housed all of the standard bedrooms in the hotel, despite the sparsely lit walkways seeming reminiscent of some sort of evil horror film set rather than a hotel.
The housekeeping office here was filled with items that would have been used to replenish stock inside the rooms such as waters, shampoo etc.
The shuttered bar seemed as if it would have been fairly extensive during its hay day, with seven drinks on tap consisting of Pravla, Staropramen, Carling, Guiness, Worthingtons, Aspalls and Skinny Lager, along with an array of spirits and culinary condiments behind the bar.
Behind me is the protracted comprehensive seating area for both some diners and drinkers, though as it's usually lit by daytime running lights, I regrettably couldn't find an applicable switch to get the lights on.
"Dickens" conference/meeting room was very basic with nothing stripped out luckily, though no adornments had been left either.
A coffee station/break area in a separated part of the building for conference rooms "Belloc", "Sayer", "Lyons" and "Wilks".
The leisure facilities helped contribute to this hotel's rating especially, with a cramped yet effective gym and swimming pool.
The swimming pool lights are uncontrollable as they're in a locked room with no suitable key, though the water lights still allow for fantastic shots of the swimming pool. The water is heated, though not particularly effectively, but a swim would still be possible! I have to admit though that I did not partake in such aquatic activities during my visit.
The pool did contain a hot tub; grievously though it was the same temperature as the rest of the pool.
The only walkway linking the old block with reception and the suites to the new block; the glass corridor is a nice touch for ambient car park lighting.
"The Library" is a slight misnomer because of its astounding lack of books, however this is it in all it's glory. It appears to have been used occasionally for private dinners or meetings, though was generally a waiting area as it's conjoined with reception.
An example of a suite shown here, complete with a desk to work at, large television behind me and an ostentatious en suite as well.
I hope I've effectively encapsulated this place for you all; it was a marvellous explore and hopefully it stays that way!
The Chase Hotel is an opulent 4-star hotel with over 130 guest rooms complete with an indoor swimming pool, a restaurant, bar, wedding reception facility, 18 conference rooms and a gym, and had been functioning as a hotel/conference centre for decades.
On 23rd March 2020 it was forced to close temporarily after Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation with new coronavirus restrictions, forcing all hospitality venues to close immediately.
The plan was for the hotel to remain shut until Government restrictions were lifted and it was allowed to reopen, however the scale and breadth of the impact coronavirus had on people's willingness to go on holidays and book conferences forced this hotel to close permanently.
It took until May for the hotel company renting the site to predict their losses, and the assumption was made that even when they were allowed to reopen, the loss predictions were too high because of a lack of willing customers and so the decision was subsequently taken to permanently close the hotel.
As for now the hotel will sit empty and accumulating dust.
The landlord has seemingly hired a caretaker to care for the outside area so going during the day could be an issue, hence my 2am explore.
The Explore:
Upon catching wind of its closure, I set off on a reconnaissance mission to discover an entry point since nobody's every explored/got inside it before.
I was sceptical at first, but after discovering a rather dubious if not slightly hazardous way in I managed to squirm myself into one of the bedrooms and begin the explore.
Virtually all the doors inside are open, presumably so air can pullulate through the structure to slow the process of moulding.
The outside of this place is easily more beautiful than the inside. The modern architecture of practicality reigns superior on the inside, but the classical, archaic and antiquated exterior of the old block (right) shows the demonstrable plenitude of affluence this four star establishment once harnessed.
A view from the tennis court which is bizarrely in a way more fiercely sealed than the building itself!
The wedding reception booth shown here, with the elegant and graceful red walkway in the middle.
The first main room I came to was the restaurant which still has everything left inside (which is a recurring theme in this place...) and though the photos make it seem less abandoned, walking around solo in this place it still feels very much abandoned because most of the lights are off as standard apart from the daytime running ones. Through the far doors the darkened bar is visible under the scintillating light of emergency exit signs.
The Private Dining Room conjoined with the restaurant for especially booked meals.
The back of house for the restaurant here. On the left is the restaurant in its normal dark state with the lights off, with the kitchen in front and a staff equipment room through the doorway on the right.
The staff equipment room shown here, with a rather lugubrious message on the whiteboard just out of shot proclaiming thanks to the staff before they left the revolving doors of employment for the last time.
The kitchen lit up like a spark, though there is no food left as it all appears to have been moved into a conference room for later donation to a charity or food bank.
A view from the chef's position.
The pot wash here complete with a revolving spinner for the dirty culinary equipment.
Another back of house room with bar equipment such as glasses, tea-pots and other miscellaneous items. This would have also been a station for conference rooms because of all the business equipment such as notepads and pens etc.
Conference room "Wordsworth 1/2" (all conference rooms appear to be named after authors/poets). The stripping can already be seen to have begun here. Employee equipment is strewn across the nearby tables and kitchen food stocks at the back have been moved hopefully for donation to a food bank or similar institution.
On the far left are large, blue-tarped cages used for the extraction of equipment from the building.
"Bronte 1-3" conference rooms. Partition walls come out to separate the three rooms where necessary.
"Wells" conference room which appears the least emptied of all; though no frippery remains as the tables sit barren and plain.
A very chaotic and dishevelled office room.
The only walkway connecting the accommodation block and the rest of the site; alas the electric door to the left which leads straight out does not work for access and has been locked tight.
Bedrooms are virtually all the same with the exception of the suites which are located only in the old block as opposed to accommodation. There are 120 rooms similar to this one, some containing two beds.
The en suite for the aforementioned bedroom. Not especially characteristic of a 4-star hotel, though these rooms appear to have cost circa~£50/night.
These eerie corridors housed all of the standard bedrooms in the hotel, despite the sparsely lit walkways seeming reminiscent of some sort of evil horror film set rather than a hotel.
The housekeeping office here was filled with items that would have been used to replenish stock inside the rooms such as waters, shampoo etc.
The shuttered bar seemed as if it would have been fairly extensive during its hay day, with seven drinks on tap consisting of Pravla, Staropramen, Carling, Guiness, Worthingtons, Aspalls and Skinny Lager, along with an array of spirits and culinary condiments behind the bar.
Behind me is the protracted comprehensive seating area for both some diners and drinkers, though as it's usually lit by daytime running lights, I regrettably couldn't find an applicable switch to get the lights on.
"Dickens" conference/meeting room was very basic with nothing stripped out luckily, though no adornments had been left either.
A coffee station/break area in a separated part of the building for conference rooms "Belloc", "Sayer", "Lyons" and "Wilks".
The leisure facilities helped contribute to this hotel's rating especially, with a cramped yet effective gym and swimming pool.
The swimming pool lights are uncontrollable as they're in a locked room with no suitable key, though the water lights still allow for fantastic shots of the swimming pool. The water is heated, though not particularly effectively, but a swim would still be possible! I have to admit though that I did not partake in such aquatic activities during my visit.
The pool did contain a hot tub; grievously though it was the same temperature as the rest of the pool.
The only walkway linking the old block with reception and the suites to the new block; the glass corridor is a nice touch for ambient car park lighting.
"The Library" is a slight misnomer because of its astounding lack of books, however this is it in all it's glory. It appears to have been used occasionally for private dinners or meetings, though was generally a waiting area as it's conjoined with reception.
An example of a suite shown here, complete with a desk to work at, large television behind me and an ostentatious en suite as well.
I hope I've effectively encapsulated this place for you all; it was a marvellous explore and hopefully it stays that way!
