The Falcon Hotel

The Falcon Hotel is a historic hotel and former inn on Chapel Street in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Its origins are associated with a half-timbered house built around 1500, making it part of the town’s surviving late-medieval and early-modern architectural fabric. The original structure was a single-storey dwelling; a second floor was added around 1645. By 1655–1661, the premises were recorded as an inn, and the site is described as Stratford-upon-Avon’s oldest continuously licensed premises. The building’s importance is both architectural and cultural. It became a Grade II* listed building in 1951, reflecting its special historic and architectural interest. Its position on Chapel Street placed it near the civic, commercial and theatrical centre of Stratford-upon-Avon, a town closely associated with William Shakespeare and the Royal Shakespeare Company. From 1834, the Royal Shakespeare Club held its annual dinner at the hotel, adding a documented connection with the town’s Shakespearean cultural tradition. In the modern period, the property changed ownership in 2014, when it was acquired by the St James Hotel Group. A substantial refurbishment began in April 2017 and continued for approximately 18 months. The work involved specialist contractors and was intended to adapt the historic building for contemporary hotel use while retaining its distinctive character. The refurbished property reopened in January 2019 under the Hotel Indigo brand as Hotel Indigo Stratford upon Avon. The rebranding generated local opposition because some residents and heritage-minded observers regarded the removal of the Falcon name from the principal hotel identity as a slight to Stratford-upon-Avon’s history. The owners stated that the historic name would continue through the tea rooms at the front of the building, which retained the Falcon name and displayed a wooden falcon sign. This arrangement preserved a visible link with the property’s former identity while allowing the hotel to operate within the Hotel Indigo chain. Following refurbishment, the hotel offered 93 guest rooms designed around three thematic styles: Georgian townhouse, Tudor and contemporary. The property also includes The Woodsman restaurant. Its current identity therefore combines a listed historic building, a locally significant former inn, and a branded lifestyle-hotel format associated with Hotel Indigo. The Falcon name remains important as a heritage reference, even though the main accommodation business is now presented as Hotel Indigo Stratford upon Avon.

The Falcon Hotel occupies a half-timbered building on Chapel Street in central Stratford-upon-Avon. The earliest part of the structure was built around 1500 as a single-storey house. Its second floor was added around 1645, creating the form of a substantial early-modern town building. Records from 1655–1661 identify the premises as an inn. This documented operation gives the site an unusually long hospitality history and supports its description as Stratford-upon-Avon’s oldest continuously licensed premises. The property developed within a town whose identity was increasingly shaped by its Shakespeare associations. From 1834, the Royal Shakespeare Club held its annual dinner at the hotel, linking the establishment with one of the town’s principal cultural institutions. The building was formally recognised for its architectural and historic importance when it received Grade II* listed status in 1951. In the twenty-first century, the hotel entered a new phase of ownership and operation. The St James Hotel Group acquired the property in 2014. In April 2017, the group began a major refurbishment, employing specialist contractors and undertaking work that lasted about 18 months. The project sought to modernise the guest experience while working within a highly historic building. The hotel reopened in January 2019 under the name Hotel Indigo Stratford upon Avon. The change placed the property within the Hotel Indigo chain and shifted the main commercial identity away from The Falcon Hotel. The renaming was controversial locally. Critics argued that replacing the historic name diminished an important part of Stratford-upon-Avon’s heritage. The owners responded that the Falcon identity would not disappear entirely: the tea rooms at the front of the building would retain the Falcon name and a wooden falcon sign would remain outside. After the refurbishment, the property contained 93 guest rooms. Their design was divided among Georgian townhouse, Tudor and contemporary themes, combining references to local history with a modern lifestyle-hotel approach. The Woodsman restaurant became part of the hotel’s hospitality offer. The resulting property is best understood as a historic hotel building operating within a contemporary international hotel-brand framework, with its former name preserved as a heritage element rather than as the principal accommodation brand.

• 2019

  Reopening as Hotel Indigo Stratford upon Avon

  [1]The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The refurbished property reopened in January under the Hotel Indigo name, with the Falcon identity retained by the front tea rooms.

• 2017

  Refurbishment begins

  [1]The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  A major refurbishment began in April and took approximately 18 months to complete.

• 2014

  Acquisition by St James Hotel Group

  [1]The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The St James Hotel Group took ownership of the property.

• 1951

  Grade II* listing

  [1]The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The building received Grade II* listed status in recognition of its special architectural and historic interest.

• 1834

  Royal Shakespeare Club dinners begin

  [1]The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The Royal Shakespeare Club held its annual dinner at the hotel from 1834.

• 1655

  Recorded as an inn

  [1]The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The premises were recorded as an inn during the period 1655–1661.

• 1645

  Second floor added

  [1]The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  A second floor was added to the earlier building around 1645.

• 1500

  Construction of the original house

  [1]The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The earliest part of the half-timbered building was constructed around this period as a single-storey house.

A heritage-focused Stratford-upon-Avon hotel combining a Grade II* listed historic property with Hotel Indigo’s contemporary lifestyle-hotel format.

• Hotel accommodation · 2019

  Hotel Indigo Stratford upon Avon

  The principal accommodation business operating in the historic Falcon Hotel building since its January 2019 reopening. The property offers 93 guest rooms arranged around Georgian townhouse, Tudor and contemporary design themes, combining local architectural references with Hotel Indigo’s modern lifestyle-hotel positioning.

• Restaurant · 2019

  The Woodsman

  The restaurant located within the hotel after refurbishment. It forms part of the property’s food-and-beverage offer alongside guest accommodation.

• Tea room

  The Falcon tea rooms

  The front tea-room area retained the Falcon name after the hotel’s 2019 rebranding. Its continued use of the name, together with a wooden falcon sign, provides a visible link to the building’s historic identity.

• 2019

  Adopt the Hotel Indigo Stratford upon Avon identityOther

  Background

  Following a major refurbishment, the historic Falcon Hotel was reopened within the Hotel Indigo brand.

  Action taken

  The main hotel identity was changed from The Falcon Hotel to Hotel Indigo Stratford upon Avon, while the front tea rooms retained the Falcon name.

  Aftermath

  The renaming drew local opposition over heritage concerns, but the property continued operating with the Falcon name preserved as part of the building’s visible historic character.

  Source

1. 1The Falcon Hotelen.wikipedia.org