A pub partnership which has built a portfolio of five outlets in east Hull is now making its mark in the city centre after taking on a landmark site.

Former Hull FC player and current assistant coach Lee Radford is part of the team which has invested in the City Hotel in Alfred Gelder Street.

Photographs on the wall underline the heritage of the building and the area, with images of the old Queens Dock, packed with barges, in 1924 and 1928 and black and white shots of the pub itself from 1905 and 1912.

The presence of the Guildhall across the road is another historical connection – for many years the City was a haven for Hull City Council members and employees, particularly on election nights!

But the new operators have their sights set firmly on the future and are using their experience of such pubs as Silkys on Holderness Road, the Dolphin in Greenwich Avenue and the Goat and Compass in Falkland Road to shape the atmosphere of their new venue.

They’ve also brought in Dave Crane to manage the City in addition to looking after the Savoy pub.
Andy Watts, one of the partners in the business, said: “We’ve done well with the other pubs and we’re confident about the City Hotel.

“We’ll make sure we’re not too expensive but at the same time we’re not going for a lot of cheap drinks offers. We’ve had a bit of a refurbishment to smarten the place up and we’ve got Sky Sports multi-room, so if Hull City are on at the same time as Hull FC or Hull KR we’ll be OK!

“But we’re not just targeting sports fans. We’ll have four real ales on and a Motown and 60s disco so we’re aiming for a mixed crowd. We’ve already done very well with the weddings at the Guildhall.”

HullBID City Centre Manager Kathryn Shillito said: “The City Hotel is a pub with a proud history and has been very popular over the years so it is good to see that it has been taken over by people who have good experience of the licensed trade.

“It’s the sort of place that caters really well for people who work in the city centre and for people who live here, and it’s hosted many a celebration and inquest for the winners and losers in the City Council elections!”

Pictured: manager Dave Crane with bar maid Kim McGivern (photographer: Karl Andre)