A Winchester hotel unveiled its brand new look after a £2million renovation.

Civic chiefs and business leaders from across the city gathered at Winchester Royal Hotel last Wednesday (Oct 17) to celebrate its relaunch.

Every room has been or will be refurbished by the end of the project next March, including all function rooms.

The upgrades also mean the hotel rises from 3* to 4*.

General manager Hilary Symes said: “We are absolutely delighted to be relaunching the hotel. We have combined the history of the hotel with a modern touch like new Wi-Fi. It still has that unique character in terms of where it's located in the heart of the city.

She added: “We have always tried to aim for a great level of hospitality and service and we are extremely proud of the friendliness and efficiency of our staff.

“With our upgraded facilities I am very confident we will fit in well with the city.”

The hotel was bought by Akkeron Hotels two years ago and Akkeron sales director Nick Greaves said renovating the building had been a priority since then.

He said: “We earmarked key properties which we thought would work in the local market but needed refurbishment and this was one.

“We felt it was important to keep the hotel's traditional aspects as it is one of the oldest in Winchester but we wanted to bring it up to standard.”

Of the 75 bedrooms at the hotel in St Peter Street, only 15 are still to be refurbished.