A historic pub in the Rhondda Valleys that is reputed to have been a favoured haunt of Hollywood megastars Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor is undergoing a transformation to re-open as a new bar, restaurant and hotel. The Pencelli Hotel in Treorchy is a former public house that closed intermittently during the pandemic, before permanently closing in 2022. Despite the building being in poor condition, SGM Property and Hospitality Ltd bought the building at auction earlier this year.
The new owners are from the local area and were looking to take on a new project after successfully refurbishing The Town Crier in Tenby earlier this year when The Pencelli popped up on the market. The initial plan was to create a residential development, but after liaising with RCT Council, they decided to keep the building in the heart of the community as a pub space, while also adding the restaurant and hotel element. This opened up the owners to receive support from RCT in the form of grant funding from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.
The refurbishment is already well underway and the owners are hoping for The Pencelli to be ready to open at the end of April or beginning of May 2025. The building has been completely renovated, with the owners explaining that “except for the four main walls, we’ve started from scratch really.” The upper floors will be converted into 11 guest rooms, consisting of a mix of twin and family rooms.
The owners added that there is a “massive shorta.