Luxury Georgian hotel and spa finally opens in Buxton 17 years after work began

After 17 long years, a luxury hotel and spa has finally opened its doors in Buxton.

Work on Buxton Crescent began 17 years ago, with initial plans only set to take four years – the project started in 2003 with an initial completion date of 2007, which was then pushed back to 2019, and then further still until this year.

The incredible building was originally built in the 1780s by the fifth Duke of Devonshire, with it becoming the centrepiece of a Georgian spa development, the BBC reports.

Ensana

However, the now Grade I listed building fell into disrepair over the years, with the plans back in 2003 set to transform it into a tourist attraction and hotel.

Buxton Crescent boasts 81 bedrooms, a spa and three pools – which includes a refurbished Victorian thermal pool full of heated Buxton mineral water – although construction didn’t go to plan.

The developers say they faced ‘just about every difficulty you could’ during the project, and the original budget of £32m shot up to £70m, with the discovery of 23 springs on the site and rotten timbers just some of the issues.

Ensana

Planning permission was finally granted in 2010 after a seven year dispute over protecting Buxton spring, while one of the investors, the East Midlands Development Agency, was disbanded causing financial issues.

Despite this the hotel is finally open, with the operators, Ensana, saying: “The hotel opening will revive the wellness traditions of this historic spa town.”

According to Ensana, the hotel will bring 140 permanent jobs with it, as well as benefiting the local economy with a contribution of more than £4.5 million a year.

You can find more info on the website here.