Huddersfield’s George Hotel is set to eventually undergo renovations after continuous setbacks. The new plans will increase the number of rooms from 90 to 108, the hotel has been unused since 2013.
Kirklees Council are investing £30m into the revamp after the initial plans were approved back in 2023. Once the plans begin it is expected to take two years till the renovations are complete.
The grade II listed building is famous as the birthplace of Rugby League with clubs meeting at the hotel in 1895 to split away from the Rugby Football Union.
With the building set to return to a functioning hotel, many Rugby League fans and Huddersfield locals are sceptical to whether the hotel will keep its sentimental value.
Rugby League historian Tony Collins says “if it hadn’t been for Rugby League being founded at The George Hotel, nobody would have heard of it.”
“It’s absolutely central to the history of Rugby League, but it’s also a massive thing in Huddersfield’s history” says Collins.
It will be interesting to see how Kirklees handles the renovation whilst honouring the history of the building.