A hotel and wedding venue has suddenly announced its closure over high energy bills.

Members of Alexandra House in Wroughton, near Swindon, received an email on Tuesday night informing them that the hotel - including the gym and swimming pool - will be closing within weeks. 

In its reasoning behind the decision, the Alexandra Park business revealed that, like many other businesses beforehand, it had succumbed to rising energy costs and the ongoing cost of living crisis. 

For members, this unexpected news has left them in the lurch, and others who had arranged to have their wedding at the venue are scrambling to find somewhere else for their special days.

In the email statement, a spokesperson for Alexandra House said: "We regret to announce that Alexandra House, including the leisure club, will be closing on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. 

"Despite exploring all possible alternatives, due to ongoing high operational and energy costs, it is no longer financially viable for us to continue running the site.

"Our number one priority is to support our members and refund any memberships. Everybody who has paid for an annual membership will receive a pro-rata refund. 

"If you have not heard from our team by Monday, January 29, 2024, then please email us at: alexandra.enquiries@thevenuescollection.co.uk."

Swindon Advertiser: The entrance to Alexandra House in Wroughton

The loss of Alexandra House will be a blow to the Wroughton area, as well as Swindon as a whole, as it was a well-used space for meetings, conferences and conventions with several local organisations choosing it to host their functions and events.

It contained 14 meeting rooms, 151 bedrooms that could sleep 240 people, as well as a gym, spa, sauna, steam room, pool, jacuzzi and tennis courts.

It was also a big employer in the area with its closure leaving scores of workers needing to find new jobs by the end of February. 

Like all leisure and hospitality venues, Alexandra House closed during the Covid pandemic but reopened in 2021 after receiving a £300,000 revamp. 

In November, The Adver reported that hundreds of Swindon businesses were on the verge of collapse.

Consultant firm Begbies Traynor released its latest ‘Red Flag Alert' figures which monitor the financial health of companies in the UK.

Rising interest rates, debt, low consumer confidence, high energy costs, and economic uncertainty are putting pressure on businesses across the region, with 758 reportedly at risk of economic failure.