Hotel operator has been selected for £120m Guildhall development in city centre

An operator has been selected to bring a luxury hotel with 160 bedrooms to the Grade II-listed Guildhall building in the city centre.

Ascena, which owns numerous hotels across the country, aims to create the four-star hotel - complete with rooftop restaurant and a spa - next year.

It is hoped work on the £120 million development will begin in the autumn.

The Guildhall, which was built with access from Burton Street and Shakespeare Street in 1887, was once the home of a magistrates' court and the old fire and police stations.

The proposed restaurant in Guildhall (Ascena)

Nottingham City Council staff also occupied a section of the building from 1996 until 2010, before moving to Loxley House.

John Wilby, project lead for Ascena, said there would be "sensitive restoration" of the building during its redevelopment.

“We are delighted that this scheme has taken a significant step forward," he said.

"We will soon be submitting the development for planning and it is likely that, all being well, work will start on site in autumn 2020.

“It is a landmark development for the city and a key destination for people across the East Midlands.

"The Guildhall is an amazing building and we are naturally delighted to be working the city council.

“There will be a new, lightweight extension to the northern elevation of the existing Guildhall to replace an unsightly latter-day extension.

“We will be utilising high-grade materials and are working closely with our heritage consultant, Turley, and Historic England to ensure that this listed building is brought back to its former glory.”

As well as owning and operating a number of hotels in Birmingham and the south-west of England, Ascena owns the Michelin-starred restaurant Opheem.

Its business partner, Aktar Islam - which runs the restaurant in Birmingham - will be running the new Guildhall rooftop restaurant.

A view of the proposed Ascena courtyard (Ascena)

The courtrooms will be converted into a bar and restaurant, allowing historic and original "listed" features to be retained.

A new extension, which will incorporate the old fire station, will feature the rooftop bar and restaurant.

While the Guildhall building itself, accessed from Burton Street, will be home to the hotel, the remaining sections of the site - such as the fire and police stations - will be demolished.

Proposals for these areas have not been announced but it is thought they will be of mixed-use.

The scheme for the now-derelict site is to be submitted for planning approval over the coming weeks.