The Albert Hotel is looking better than ever following a £1 million transformation – and here’s a chance to have a first look at the Anlaby Road pub before everyone gets to see it on Friday.
One of the first pubs to be taken on by redevelopment specialists Authentic Alehouses, The Albert in Hull has undergone a massive revamp and landlord and landlady, Phil and Mandy Shannon, can’t wait to show it off.
Phil says: “It’s great, there’s a real ‘wow’ factor now that people would expect to find in a city bar, not a pub like ours, and yet it’s still got a cosy-feel that a local pub needs too.
“It looks amazing.”
A modern décor now greets customers: there’s wooden flooring and a solid oak, stylish bar, with LED lighting to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. And there are more pumps behind the bar, which is bigger than it was, to serve the variety of new beers on offer.
Echoing the bar, the old seating has been replaced by new oak chairs and tables, upholstered in a range of rich burgundy fabrics, and with a collection of patterns from stripes to checks.
The Albert has had a large 3m x 1.5m LED wall installed as well as seven wide-screen TVs which are perfect for watching live sports.
And clever designers have also created a DJ booth and added disco lighting with moving heads that spin
around.
Phil says:
“Music is a huge feature in the pub at weekends and previously we had a metal stand on the edge of the dance floor that fell over or people bumped into.
“We found a hidden cupboard which has been transformed into the disco booth which is brilliant, and it’s been discreetly built into the wall so when you close the doors you wouldn’t know it was there.
“That means that when it’s not a music night, or when there’s a big event, it reverts back to being more of a sports bar.”
A patio area outside creates extra space, especially for summer months or match days when the pub, just five minutes from the stadium, is busier than ever.
Phil who, with wife Mandy took over The Albert 18 months ago, adds: “When we came here we knew we could make a real difference and it’s great that Authentic Alehouses saw that potential too.
“We had polished it up and increased turnover but there was room for improvement – and now that improvement has certainly been made. It looks fantastic.
“We can’t wait to get people through the doors now to see what it looks like now, I’m sure they will be really impressed. We are thrilled and we think everybody else is going to love it too.”
