GUESTS at a luxury hotel had to be evacuated when a fire engulfed its laundry room overnight.

The blaze broke out in the basement of Sopwell House Hotel at around 1.30am this morning and although it was confined to the laundry room, smoke travelled up through the laundry lift and spread across the hotel.

Some 100 people had to be evacuated and the guests weren’t allowed to return to their rooms until around 3.30am.

Firefighters from St Albans and Hatfield battled the blaze and entered the hotel wearing breathing apparatus to douse the flames.

A St Albans firefighter said the laundry room, measuring around five metres by 10 metres, was badly damaged in the fire and its contents – including towels and robes – destroyed.

A fire investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.