THE MANAGER of a city centre hotel has questioned why Chester’s amphitheatre has been filled in after complaints from guests about its condition.
Damon Yoxall, general manager of the Westminster Hotel, City Road, has stopped recommending the ancient site because of the number of complaints he has received from tourists staying at the hotel.
He said: “I would like to know what plans there are for the amphitheatre – I have had many complaints about the state of the site and would not recommend a visit for any of my guests or myself as a local.
“A quarter has been filled in and I want to know why it was not grassed over to match in with the other quarter, and what is happening with the derelict building? It remains because it is the only Georgian building in Chester but it is being left to crumble.”
As the hotel relies on tourism for its survival, Damon has also questioned the development of other areas of the city which he says have a detrimental effect on business.
“Why spend money on Chester Gateway outside the train station and not on the other end of City Road?
“The city should be attracting the same clients as Harrogate or York – after all we charge the same prices to stay here and charge the same prices for the local attractions.”
Chris Brown, chief executive of Visit Chester and Cheshire, said: “We cannot take our eye off the ball and move Chester forward. People who visit Chester are our customers and we cannot afford for them to go away having had a poor experience.”
Chester city council say the amphitheatre was backfilled with sand and limestone chips to conserve the findings whilst the long-term conservation and development of the site is considered.
Spokesman Kathryn McGiveron said: “Protecting our city’s heritage and boosting Chester’s position as an international tourist attraction are both important priorities and the council is looking forward to exploring options of how it can make the most of this internationally important site.”
