Archive for category Hotels/Places to visit
Bannatyne’s Spa Hotel in Hastings Secures Four Star Visit England Rating
Posted by admin in Hotels/Places to visit, News on August 2nd, 2010
The Bannatyne Spa Hotel in Hastings has been awarded four stars by English Tourist Board, VisitEngland – becoming the only spa hotel in the town to hold a four-star rating.
Highlighting The Bannatyne Spa Hotel’s excellent levels of customer service, facilities and cleanliness, the ratings are part of an internationally-respected quality scheme designed to promote high standards of guest accommodation in England.
Previously holding three stars, this improved rating is testament to the ongoing investments in quality and service made by its owners, The Bannatyne Group.
Bannatyne's Spa Hotel General Manager Justin Wermers and Operations Manager Geoff Green with the Four Star visit England Rating.
Since acquiring the hotel in 2007, The Bannatyne Group has introduced a £2 million extension to create a new bar and additional bedrooms and suites, increasing its capacity by over 40 percent.
Now offering 41 luxury en-suite rooms and suites, the hotel on Battle Road has become popular with UK and international guests visiting Hastings and the Sussex coast. It is also one of the leading wedding venues in the area and regularly hosts business events and meetings.
The multi-million pound contemporary hotel, which features a stylish fine dining restaurant, is set within 38 acres of beautiful gardens. The grounds also boast a golf course, a health and wellbeing spa and a state-of-the-art health club with a 20-metre swimming pool, fitness studios and a large gymnasium hosting a wide range of the latest exercise equipment.
Nigel Armstrong, Managing Director of The Bannatyne Group, said: “The Bannatyne Spa Hotel in Hastings is one of our flagship developments. It is very satisfying to see our investment in the hotel rewarded by this prestigious English Tourist Board rating.
“Hastings is a wonderful location and I hope the four-star rating will help attract new guests to the town to experience what Bannatyne’s, and the beautiful Sussex coast, has to offer.”
Geoff Green, Operations Manager for the Bannatyne Hotel Group, said: “Visit England’s ratings are hugely respected by leisure and business guests as well as across the hospitality industry. We are very proud to receive the four-star rating, which is a marvellous endorsement of the exceptional work of my team and The Bannatyne Group’s overall commitment to making the hotel, spa and health club a success.”
New GM at Bannatyne’s Charlton House
Posted by admin in Hotels/Places to visit, News on July 16th, 2010
Bannatyne’s Charlton House in Shepton Mallet has appointed high-flying hospitality specialist Phil Brown as the spa hotel’s new General Manager.
Having worked for respected hotel groups including Hotel du Vin and Malmaison, Bristol-born Phil is returning to the South West to drive forward Bannatyne’s vision to transform Charlton House into a destination of choice for local people and visitors from across the UK and abroad.
Phil, 29, has fourteen years’ experience in the hospitality industry holding a range of management positions in Bristol, Brighton and Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He was also a member of the openings team at Malmaison and Hotel du Vin and played a key roll in the opening of nine hotels over a two year period.
Phil Brown returns to the South West as the new General Manager of Bannatyne’s Charlton House
Phil joins Bannatyne’s after spending time as a consultant working with hospitality groups on hotel openings and brand amalgamation projects.
Bannatyne’s acquired Charlton House earlier this year and has already embarked on a six-figure programme of refurbishments and upgrades to the hotel and its high quality facilities.
Located in The Mendips, the hotel boasts 26 individually designed bedrooms, a thermal spa and a stunning two AA Rosettes conservatory restaurant serving local and international dishes.
Central to the redevelopments has been the improvements to the thermal spa, which has included the introduction of a completely new range of relaxing and rejuvenating treatments.
As an established spa operator, with 28 sites nationwide, Bannatyne’s has developed specialist treatments with its skin care partner, Elemis, manicures from celebrity nail specialist, Leighton Denny and mineral make up with ID Bare Escentuals, all of which are available at Charlton House.
Bannatyne’s established range of relaxing and rejuvenating treatments perfectly compliment the spa’s key features, which include an indoor and outdoor heated hydrotherapy pool with built-in massaging beds, a Finnish sauna and a Crystal Steam Room.
Phil said: “Bannatyne’s has an enviable track record in the leisure industry and I am very pleased to be part of its growing hotel business.
“I am really pleased to be back in the South West. Bannatyne’s Charlton House is an exceptional spa hotel, which has a great history and an even more exciting future as part of the Bannatyne Group.”
He added: “I am particularly keen to further build Charlton House’s reputation as the ideal wedding venue in the South West.
“The stability Bannatyne’s brings to Charlton House, along with its extensive hospitality sector experience, allows the hotel to again become a popular wedding venue.
“We hold a licence to host civil ceremonies and can cater for up to 120 wedding guests inside the hotel and even larger numbers in a marquee.”
Simon Hulstone wins medal for best meat dish at Bocuse d’Or
Posted by admin in Awards, Catering Equipment, Hotels/Places to visit, News on July 6th, 2010
Simon Hulstone, owner of the Elephant restaurant in Torquay with One Michelin Star and British contestant in the recent prestigious Bocuse d’Or European Cooking Competition Finale, sponsored by luxury cookware specialist All-Clad, came 4th in a field of top chefs.
Using state-of-the-art All-Clad cookware, Simon was awarded a medal by a judging panel of 20 leading chefs for being the winner of the best meat dish, which each team had to cook along with a fish dish.
Out of 20 European countries competing in this Finale only 10 will now go through to the Bocuse d’Or Grand Finale, which takes place every two years during the SIRHA Fair (the International equivalent of Hotelympia) in Lyon on 25th to 26th January 2011. This will involve competing chefs from 24 different countries and Simon Hulstone will be there representing Great Britain.
Simon is once again enthusiastic about his chances of winning an award and said “For the ultimate chef competition in the world it is safe to say only the best equipment in the world will suffice, All-Clad surpass these expectations and takes my food to a different level”
For sales enquiries and further information on All-Clad products please contact All-Clad on 01753 713000 or visit their website www.allclad.com
CORNISH COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL REPORTS 20% INCREASE IN VISITOR NUMBERS
Posted by admin in Hotels/Places to visit, Uncategorized on June 30th, 2010
The Rose-in-Vale Hotel at Mithian, near St Agnes in Cornwall is reporting a 20% increase in this year’s visitor numbers.
Corporate functions have also increased by 25% – justifying the hotel’s approved plans to build an extension that will include additional conference facilities, as well as an indoor swimming pool and spa. Phase one of the building project will start in the autumn and be complete by May next year.
James and Sara Evans bought the Rose-in-Vale four years ago and believe great teamwork is responsible for the hotel’s growing popularity.
“I’m really proud of my staff who all live in the local area and who are all 100% committed to giving our customers the best service possible,” said James. “They get a share of the profits so they all have a vested interest in working well together and making this business prosper.
“May and June have both been bumper months for us and I’m looking forward to remaining very busy for the rest of the summer.”
The Rose-in-Vale Head Chef Colin Hankins and Pastry Chef Aaron Rawlings won this year’s Cornwall Catering Excellence Challenge, providing an additional boost to the hotel’s reputation as a place for top quality food in a lovely setting.
“Our restaurant trade is excellent, with a lot of people travelling considerable distances to try our food,” said James. “It’s a very important part of the product package.”
The Senior Executive Forum, which is hosted by Cornwall College Business, is just one of many local organisations to have recently held a corporate function at the hotel.
“Outstanding service, fantastic food and the attention to detail made our business event run very smoothly,” said Manager Tracey Johnson.
The Rose-in-Vale is set in ten acres of its own wooded valley. Originally built around 1770, the house was once the home of mine owner Captain Oates. Famous Cornish-born artist John Opie was also a regular visitor in the late 1700s when his sister was in service there.