CIRENCESTER’S first ‘boutique hostel’ has opened its doors and unveiled its new look.

The Barrel Store hostel, which replaced the Niccol theatre, is minimal and functional in design. 

It features 14 rooms with 43 beds, 12 with ensuite shower and toilet, a self-catering kitchen and lounge, and a winding staircase that ‘feels like a barrel’.

The interior was designed by Dan Cook, director of Furnish International Design based in Cheltenham, each bedroom includes a bed or bunk beds, with simple industrial frames and white linen bedding, and a compact fold-open desk.

Mr Cook said: “It was very important that people felt connected to the workshops and the art and craft at the New Brewery Arts centre.

“The design is minimal and functional, the feeling is warm and there is as little as possible.

“We designed the beds with an industrial feel and sourced the fabric and textiles locally.

“We started with a focus on aesthetics but we had to put that aside for functionality, paring down to basic designs that would be easy to maintain and clean.”

He also pointed out the staircase, a visualisation of ‘The Barrel Store’, designed to “feel as much as a barrel as possible”.

The short-stay hostel in Cirencester, which received its first guest on April 25, has already received guests from America, South Korea and Australia.

It has also welcomed cyclists, family groups and even stag and hen do’s.

The hostel welcomes walk-in and advance bookings from individuals and groups. Large groups can exclusively hire the hostel for the weekend.

Rooms start from £22 per person per night in a four-bed bedroom, and visitors are allowed to stay for a maximum of two weeks.

Annie Gould, in charge of fundraising and development at New Brewery Arts, said: “We are hoping to encourage more people to take part in the wealth of craft and art activities at New Brewery Arts.

“And we are not saying that they will stay at a really expensive hotel.”

CEO Beth Alden said: “The hostel does not just help the economy. There are connections to local businesses. It is about affordability in the town centre.”

She added that hostel guests would be able to enjoy discounts from local restaurants and pubs like Fratellos and the Black Horse.