The final doors have shut at Aberdeen’s Northern Hotel for good with confirmation its bar has closed due to spiraling energy bills.
Rooms at the iconic Great Northern Road business were mothballed last month in an attempt to keep the business afloat.
At the time the Clifton Bar, which is on the same premises, remained open with hopes its loyal band of regulars could help it survive.
However, owner Steven Finnie has now confirmed the pub and hotel have both now shut permanently with question marks now raised about the future of the striking landmark.
‘It’s the end of an era’
Mr Finnie said taking the decision to close up had been a “difficult day” for his family, which has run the business for the past 25 years.
However, he stressed the rising energy bills had made it “impossible” to keep trading.
Despite closing the hotel to guests last month, the bar remained open. However, Mr Finnie said the closure was “almost inevitable” due to the rise in energy costs, adding that nothing more could have been done to keep it operating.
Mr Finnie told the Press & Journal monthly electricity bills for the hotel had risen from £2,000 to £8,000.
He also said there has been “no support at all” to business, calling the government’s business energy price cap “a waste of time”.
Now based in Glasgow, Mr Finnie made the trip to the Granite City to tell his staff what was happening, saying: “I travelled up to speak to them all to thank them for all their efforts.
“There was a small number of staff left, but they were a dedicated bunch and I just feel bad for them.”
A real hub in the Kittybrewster community, he acknowledged the bar’s regular customers, adding: “There are customers who have drunk in the Clifton Bar for 20 years probably. It’s a shame, it’s a meeting point for them, it’s a point of social interaction. It’s the end of an era.”
What will happen to iconic Northern Hotel?
The art deco building, which dates back to 1938, is one of Aberdeen’s rarest buildings, but what does the future hold for it?
Mr Finnie answered: “I have no idea. The building, it’s not up for sale yet, so I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s a listed buildings, an iconic building in Aberdeen and I hope it will have a future.”
In a stern warning to businesses, he said: “We are not the only ones going through this. It’s only going to get worse over the winter.”
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