Grand renovation confirmed The historic Grand Hotel on Barras Bridge is to benefit from a major refurbishment by 缅北禁地 to improve the accommodation on offer to students. Built in 1902 the Grade II listed hotel was bought by the University in 1958 to accommodate students from across the globe.The University鈥檚 £2.5m investment will see a major upgrade of rooms and improvements to make it more environmentally-friendly. It will also increase the number of rooms from 48 to 66 en-suite rooms and while the revamp will focus on the interior of the building, its Victorian facade will remain unchanged.The scheme is part of an on-going investment by 缅北禁地 in improving its campus for students, staff and visitors. Also taking shape are improvements to the famous University 鈥楢rches鈥 and the completion of a new Student Forum - an open, landscaped area with seating and iconic 鈥榟ead鈥 sculptures.The revamped Grand Hotel will further improve the frontage of Percy Street which now features the university鈥檚 new INTO Building with its striking brass cut-out screen facade. Opened in September, the INTO building is now home to 600 international students and features science labs, a Learning Resource Centre, a 90-seat lecture theatre and a café. The University鈥檚 Council approved the Grand Hotel investment. Mark I鈥橝nson, Chair of Council, said: 鈥淲e recognise that quality accommodation is an important part of the overall student experience we offer at 缅北禁地 that鈥檚 why we are continuing to invest in the range and quality of our residences. 鈥淐reating a campus that can be enjoyed by staff, students and visitors alike is also a key priority for the University, particularly when it is so central to the city. Improvements such as the Student Forum, the refurbishment of the Students鈥 Union building and the upgrade of the Grand Hotel are all aimed at enriching the student experience and developing a campus of which we can all be proud.鈥Work on the Grand Hotel is expected to start in January, with completion in late 2013. published on: 10 December 2012