The Strozzi Palace Apart-Hotel comprises an extended and converted Grade II listed building in central Cheltenham, which formerly housed the local Electricity Board social facilities above a significant mains transformer/switchgear installation. The ground floor of the premises still houses this equipment, and the Apart-Hotel accommodation is located in the extended first and second floors of the building.
The building was designed in the style of the Strozzi Palace in Florence which, whilst representing a fascinating ‘folly’ in the centre of Regency Cheltenham they have created a building severely lacking in fenestration, posing significant difficulties in converting it to residential accommodation – as a result the second floor rooms are largely top-lit.
The site extends beyond the building to the adjacent Public House, and the extension infilling the area between the buildings comprises a simple infill fully glazed with structural glass as a contrast and in deference to the very stylised host building. The building comprises six boutique hotel suites offering the flexibility of serviced apartments, each suite containing a living area with small kitchen installation and sleeping area.