Exclusive Interview by Andrew Brown
The Grand in Southport will open this July following a spectacular £3million transformation – as the ultimate family business in town.
Restoring the beautiful Grade II Listed art deco building, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year, has been a true labour of love for owner Andrew Mikhail.
The owner of the thriving Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group has a real passion for Southport, having already invested substantial amounts into redeveloping the Lord Street Hotel, the Bold Hotel, the Lord Street Sports Bar, Punch Tarmey’s bar, and the Southport Market center bar.
The Grand, on the picturesque Lord Street boulevard, holds a particularly special place in his heart, as the venue where he and wife Vicky enjoyed their very first date together 23 years ago.
In tribute to their happy family life together since that day, the three floors of The Grand have now been named after three of the couple’s children.
The first phase of the stunning new venue will open its doors on Friday, 15th July, offering visitors a true luxury, five-star experience. Visitors will be able to enjoy The Grand Brasserie and Chloe’s Piano Bar, with The Grace Suite due to open a few weeks later, and Harry’s Bar scheduled to open before Christmas.
Reservations for the Brasserie and Chloe’s Piano Bar are now available on the venue’s website,
Eimear McElroy, General Manager at The Grand in Southport, said: “On the ground floor will be Chloe’s Piano Bar. On the first floor will be The Princess Grace Suite. And on the top floor will be Harry’s Bar. They are all named after the couple’s children.
“Redeveloping The Grand is very much a personal challenge for the Mikhail family.
“They wanted it to be something really different and very special.”
Southport, a coastal resort where Andrew Mikhail has so many happy memories from days out with his parents to meeting his future wife, is a place where he is determined to create special experiences for others to enjoy.
Eimear said: “Andrew absolutely loves Southport, and wanted to do something really special for the town, and for the area.
“This is a total passion project for him. The fantastic thing is that he has been able to enjoy every detail of the building’s restoration.”
The Grand first opened in 1923 as a car showroom. It later became a cinema, and was more recently known as the ‘Grand Casino’, until its closure saw this magnificent building sitting empty for many years.
The Grand now faces an exciting new future with an opening date for The Grand Brasserie and Chloe’s Piano Bar, on the ground floor, revealed for Friday 15th July 2022.
The Princess Grace Suite, one of the finest wedding and function suites in the North West, accommodating up to 250 people, will open a few weeks later for viewings.
Harry’s Rooftop Bar and The Sky Bar, with views of the town and across to the sea are scheduled to be open by Christmas. Both bars boast spectacular retractable roofs to allow guests to enjoy a true year round outdoor experience.
Andrew Mikhail said: “Bringing fabulous buildings back to life is such a rewarding feeling, it’s what I love to do, and a building as stunning as The Grand deserves to be enjoyed by the people of Southport and beyond.
“I have very fond memories of the original Grand. I took my then girlfriend and now wife, Vicky, to our first date to the Stanley Casino restaurant on the first floor 23 years ago. Sadly, I lost my money but I gained a wife!
“It feels so strange to be owning not only The Grand but the surrounding venues, Lord Street Hotel, Punch Tarmey’s and The Bold as they are all places I visited as a kid with my parents.”
- Find out more about The Grand and book tables at: www.thegrand.co.uk
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