A BRITISH bistro and a cocktail bar are just one part of the refurbishment plans at The Green Dragon Hotel in Hereford.

The historic city centre hotel in Broad Street was bought by a consortium of primarily county investors in August.

And now plans are well underway for the future of the hotel which will be given a new look in a £3m investment.

The main body of work will be carried out between January and June next year and the hotel will stay open during the phased refurbishment.

The project has been led by Julian Vaughan who said he is looking forward to bringing the landmark back to life.

He added: “The main brief to contractors and designers is to restore the building back to its former glory.”

The John Spices Restaurant will be changed into a British bistro supporting Herefordshire food and drink.

Mr Vaughan said: “The whole of the ground floor will be about Herefordshire food and drink. It will be a platform to celebrate the county’s diverse agricultural offering.”

The bar next to the hotel entrance will become a cafe, which will also serve alcohol, and offer snacks and lighter bites.

The lounge area will be updated and offer guests the chance to enjoy afternoon tea, as well as food from the cafe.

And the Offa Bar, which has been used for storage for 10 years, will be back open as a cocktail bar.

Mr Vaughan added: “The ground floor is about there being as many different reasons to visit the Green Dragon as possible.”

There are also plans to completely refurbish the ball room. “It needs to be serving its community to provide a functional space for meetings, conferences, events and weddings,” Mr Vaughan added.

“It will be done to a good standard with all the modern technology required to service all those type of events.”

He said the hotel’s pricing will be medium range.

There are six meeting rooms on the first floor and these will provide hotdesks for business people to use as office space on a pay-as-you-go basis.

The 83 hotel bedrooms will be brought up to a 21st century standard.

They are asking for residents to get in touch to share their memories of the Green Dragon.

Either call the hotel on 01432 272506, send a letter or pop into the hotel.

Mr Vaughan added: “It is a Georgian coaching inn and it is still going to feel like a Georgian coaching inn.”

They are holding a Halloween Masquerade Ball on October 27 at 7pm, a Winter Bazaar on November 23 and 24 (in support of Hereford Music Pool) and a Roaring Twenties Christmas Ball on December 21.