The Return of The Historic Chace

There are heritage visits… and then there are heritage visits involving scaffolding, stained glass, unexpected architectural discoveries and the distinct feeling that Coventry is quietly getting one of its grandest buildings back. This week, The Chace welcomed John Payne and David Fry of the Coventry Society to see first-hand the progress being made on the restoration of this remarkable Grade II listed building. The pair toured the site alongside the project team, climbing th

If you’ve walked or driven past the Chace Hotel recently (formerly the Iliffe Hotel), you may have noticed the grounds looking a little different. That’s not just your imagination. Over the years, the line of leylandii trees that bordered parts of the site had grown rather enthusiastically. Leylandii are often used as hedging because they grow quickly and provide great screening. The downside is that if they’re left to their own devices, they grow very quickly—sometimes a bi

At The Chace Hotel, Coventry (formerly The Iliffe), we’ve seen plenty of weddings, reunions and after-work catch-ups over the years — but every now and then, a story comes along that really makes us smile. Michael and Nicola recently got in touch with a request that says a lot about what this place has meant to them. Long before they were newlyweds, they were regulars. As locals, they spent many evenings at the hotel — usually on the sofa next to the stairs, enjoying a drink

One of the function rooms at The Chace in its present, rather sad state If you’ve driven past the grand old building on London Road recently, you might have noticed that the Chace Hotel (formerly known as the Iliffe) is looking… well… a little “mid-renovation chic.” At the moment, it’s less “wedding bells” and more “hard hats.” With plaster occasionally deciding gravity is optional, a roof that’s been trialling indoor water features, electrics that prefer surprise over reliab

A small but mighty milestone in the restoration of the Chace Hotel If you’ve wandered past the Chace Hotel lately and thought, “Hang on… are there dragons up there?” — you’re not imagining things. The missing dragon finials (that’s the fancy architectural word for decorative roof-top flourishes) are making a triumphant return, and they’re bringing a bit of myth, mischief, and much-needed character back with them. So… what exactly are dragon finials? Finials sit at the peaks