The Britannia Ashley Hotel in Hale has officially ceased operating as asylum seeker accommodation - and is now being prepared to reopen as a commercial hotel.
The closure took effect yesterday, ending a three-year arrangement that began in February 2023 under the then-Conservative government.
The Home Office notified Trafford Council in April that the government contract would terminate within three months, with Immigration Minister Anna Turley confirming the property has been permanently handed back to the community.
Public room bookings are expected to go live as soon as the hotel's reservation system is updated.
The news that the Ashley Hotel will return to commercial use is likely to prove unwelcome to many local residents, for whom the site became a focal point of community tension during its three years as migrant accommodation.
Protests were held outside the hotel, and last October a convicted paedophile wanted by German authorities was arrested at the site by National Crime Agency officers.
Altrincham and Sale West MP Connor Rand had welcomed the closure when it was first announced in April: "Using hotels to house asylum seekers is a sign of a broken system. It's bad for taxpayers, bad for community cohesion and bad for the people seeking asylum."
The Ashley Hotel is one of 13 hotels confirmed by the government as no longer being used to house asylum seekers, saving taxpayers an estimated £51 million. The total number of hotels used for this purpose has now fallen to below 160, down from a peak of around 400 under the Conservatives.
Immigration Minister Anna Turley said: "For too long, communities have watched hotels at the centre of their towns and cities become symbols of a broken asylum system.
"We are turning that around by ending the use of asylum hotels for good and moving people into larger, basic accommodation like former military sites."
The closure leaves the Cresta Court in Altrincham town centre as the sole remaining local hotel housing asylum seekers. The Cresta Court has been closed to the public since October 2024 and is believed to accommodate up to 300 people. Connor Rand has said the government is committed to closing the Cresta Court as well.
A spokesperson for Britannia Hotels Group said: “We can confirm the Ashley Hotel in Hale is no longer providing emergency accommodation to individuals and families seeking refuge.
”We understand the local interest in restoring this hotel as a community asset. We are currently reviewing our options while giving due consideration to local perspectives, and we will share further updates once our plans have been finalised.”
