THE owners of the Moat House Hotel were today counting the cost of the devastating blaze which tore through the building.
A spokesman for Essex-based owners Queens Moat Houses, the UK's third largest hotel group, said it could be some time before the Higher Bridge Street hotel could open its doors. Staff from the four-star hotel spent yesterday trying to find accommodation for all the 128 guests left with nowhere to stay after the blaze tore through the seven-storey building.
The spokesman said: "We are looking for alternative accommodation for all the guests -- it is a major priority.
"We are doing this on an entirely individual basis depending on the guests' needs. Some will stay in hotels in Bolton, but others may be found places in hotels in Manchester or wherever is suitable."
He denied a rumour that the hotel had been up for sale for months.
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