In the next few weeks, Aston Villa will reopen a part of its history when the Holte Hotel restoration is completed outside Villa Park.
The Victorian building, which dates back to the 19th century, used to feature 10 bedrooms, its own 400 capacity music hall, billiard rooms and two bowling greens. The hotel, essentially a late Victorian pub, was located adjacent to Villa Park, one of the most historic stadiums in England.
The name Holte is synonymous with Villa Park’s Holte End, which was once the largest Kop in the country. The massive Holte End stand used to hold up to 22,600 supporters.
In December, Aston Villa announced a major restoration plan to stabilize the building and return the exterior of the building being returned to its former glory. The pub will be available for fans on matchdays as well as being made available for business meetings. To me, Villa is to be commended for renovating the building and making it a part of the Villa Park experience once again.
The club has invested $5 million in restoring the hotel. It’s scheduled to open within the next few days to weeks. Aston Villa is also seriously considering redeveloping their North Stand and possibly increasing the capacity in the next few years by 10,000.
See more pictures and background about Holte Hotel from Aston Villa’s web site here.
