Opening date revealed for ‘new’ hotel in Knaresborough after painstaking refurbishment with a pledge of pub classics

Previously know as the Dower House Hotel & Spa, this Grade II-listed hotel located at Bond End dates back to the mid-18th century.

The property has been undergoing refurbishment under owners The Inn Collection Group after it was acquired by the Newcastle-based pub/hotel group in December 2021.

It is now in the final stages of its transformation to The Knaresborough Inn with at least one major change.

The number of bedrooms at the venue will increase from 38 to 57 by using the space previously occupied by the venue’s spa and leisure facilities.

The reopening is set to take place in a few weeks time, following The Inn Collection Group’s recent relaunch of St George Hotel in Harrogate after a radical renovation and change of name to The Harrogate Inn.

Completed in just 152 days, that refurbishment transformed the former St George Hotel into an opulent new pub, boasting two grand, new bars, a fully refurbished kitchen and luxurious new new executive bedroom suites.

The owners recently welcomed a delegation of dignitaries to the re-opened Ripon Road hotel to sample first-hand the new-look Barking George bar and its delicious menu.

With a new terrace over-looking Crescent Gardens, the Harrogate Inn is already becoming one of the town’s must-visit venues.

As for what was for many years was the Dower House in Knaresborough, once open, visitors to the venue will notice changes on the exterior with a new portico entrance constructed, along with a new accessible ramp to improve access into the site.

There has been the replacement of roof coverings, repairs to brickwork, the creation of a footpath and improvements to parking.

Whilst the scheme of works at the site have been extensive, they have been carefully carried out, respecting the building’s Grade II listed status, with parts of the site dating back to the 15th century, when built by the Slingsby family.

In line with the company’s model of hospitality, The Knaresborough Inn will be open all, day every day, offering well-kept drinks, speciality teas and coffees and a wide-ranging menu covering everything from breakfast, lunch and dinner.

With a menu boasting a wide range of pub classics, house specialties and children’s sections, plenty of choice will let the new Inn cater for any palette.

After a rapturous reception for the new look site in Harrogate, operations director for The Inn Collection Group Chris Moor is anticipating the same to be true when The Knaresborough Inn debuts.

He said: “We’re excited that The Harrogate Inn has been received so positively since reopening and we are looking forward to unveiling The Knaresborough Inn as our second North Yorkshire site to complete refurbishment in a few weeks.

“Creating a new-look for a much-loved venue has been a painstaking process as has the renovation programme, making sure we take great care of what in parts dates back to the 15th century but we are confident that we have done what we set out to achieve.

“We will be announcing plans for our reopening celebrations very shortly and I look forward to seeing the doors back open before the end of the summer.”