Revealed: The first glimpse of refurbished Harrogate hotel after stunning multi-million pound renovation

The exciting news is that what was the St George Hotel on Ripon Road for the first time now has a large new bar-restaurant with a brand new entrance overlooking, and with access to, Crescent Gardens.

The hugely transformative work may not quite be totally finished yet by owners The Inn Collection Group, which recently featured in The Sunday Times Top 100 Employers, though it is certainly very close to being so.

The historic building was today a massive hive of activity as it evolves from being a 90-bed hotel to a 96-bed hotel with huge changes on the ground floor throughout.

The six new attractive, spacious bedroom suites are located on the ground floor and offer views of the town centre.

As for the new bar-restaurant, it will he called “Barking George” and it’s actually two large separate but linked brasserie style rooms with a touch of quality and a flavour of the Continent which, once open, will offer high-end pub food and drink in a buzzy atmosphere.

Andrew Robson, The Inn Collection’s Senior Communications and Marketing Executive, said: “The Harrogate Inn is entering the final stages of a multi-million-pound renovation programme, focused on breathing new life into the venue’s food and beverage spaces.

"We have also transformed the previous hotel style offering into a welcoming inn.”

Since The Inn Collection Group bought the historic Harrogate hotel In February 2022 – along with the Dower House in Knaresborough and Ripon Spa Hotel, it has made far more than cosmetic changes.

The stunning kitchen in The Harrogate Inn is brand new and has been kitted out with state-of-the-art equipment, including a “broiler” which cook steaks at temperatures of around 1600 – 1800 degrees fahrenheit.

Head of Food at The Inn Collection Group, Tom Adlam, said the focus of the food offer at the new-look The Harrogate Inn would include:

Premium salt aged steaks on a state-of-the-art, American-style grill section

Freshly made pasta and pizza made on the premises every day

Pub classics such as “really good” fish and chips and fish dishes

The Harrogate Inn’s important place in the town’s heritage goes beyond bricks and mortar.

Lest it be forgotten, The Harrogate Inn is place where celebrity chef Marco Pierre White started out his culinary journey as a young man.

Formerly called St George Hotel originally grew out of the Chequers Inn and was renamed after George III's gift of the Stray to the people of Harrogate in 1778.

The hotel was then enlarged several times during the 19th century and renamed the St George shortly before the First World War.

The Harrogate Inn will start accepting hotel guests next Monday, July 3 with the launch night on Thursday, July 20.