The Gaumont cinema, initially known as The Gaumont Palace, opened in March 1931. The former Mecca bingo hall on the St Oswalds Way roundabout was Chester's first 2,000-seat 'super cinema'. READ: The 1930s gem that was Chester's first 'super cinema' The Gaumont Cinema opened its doors in March 1931, with its ornate interior described as 'breathtaking' READ: Chester's Mecca Bingo set to close, company confirms Mecca Bingo bosses told Cheshire Live they were in consultation with staff over the proposed closure They say the hotel would bring the equivalent of 80 full-time jobs to the city once operational and would help boost the city's visitor economy by providing more 'high-end hotel accommodation'.

TAG Chester say part of the original building fronting Brookdale Place would be retained for retail use, with the company hoping to have the hotel, provisionally named Hotel Chester, open by winter 2026, subject to getting planning approval. The proposed plans, which TAG Chester is set to submit to Cheshire West and Chester Council in January, would see the rear of the building demolished, with the developers describing it as having a 'weak frontage, offering a poor outlook onto the Shropshire Union Canal'.

This prime city centre site borders the St Oswald's Way roundabout, Union Terrace and Brookdale Place and backs onto the Shropshire Union Canal. The proposed Hotel Chester development, which is being put forward by the TAG Chester company, would see a partial demolition of the former Gaumont Palace cinema, which was built in 1931. A consultation has been launched on plans to build a 142-bedroom hotel on the Mecca Bingo site in Chester.

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