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Cumbria Times
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Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
@philhopkinsuk
8:00 AM 9th May 2021
travel

North Yorkshire Hotels Get New Lease Of Life

 
The Royal Whitby Hotel
The Royal Whitby Hotel
Four North Yorkshire hotels, which fell victim to closure when Shearings went into administration last year, are to re-open creating new jobs.

The Hotel St George in Harrogate, Whitby’s Royal Hotel, and the New Southlands and Norbreck hotels in Scarborough, will open their doors, once more, this month as part of the Coast & Country Hotel Collection

They are all former Shearings Hotels and went into administration last May when,
it was feared, they would remain closed indefinitely.

However, under new ownership and following a Hotel Management Agreement with Bespoke Hotels, the Royal Hotel opened briefly last year until the latest lockdown forced the doors to close again. Now all four properties are set to reopen as lockdown eases – with an opening date set for 17th May for the Hotel St George, the New Southlands and the Royal Hotel Whitby in accordance with Government guidance, while The Norbreck will open on June 1st.

As part of their reopening the hotels are looking to recruit heavily within their local communities, with more than 120 jobs on offer across all four properties. Interested applicants are welcome to enquire about the positions available.

Paul FitzGerald, Portfolio Managing Director, said of the plans for the collection: “Given the enormous challenges of the last few months, we’re delighted to bring these properties back to market. Integral parts of North Yorkshire’s hotel offering, we know their initial closure was felt keenly amongst their respective communities. Now though, with reopening plans in place, we’re able to offer not just jobs and wider tourism opportunities, but hospitality services that people can engage with as restrictions lift.”

He continued: “With the country having been unable to enjoy the delights of hospitality for so long, everyone is eager to enjoy themselves post lockdown, and as people are starting to realise these properties are reopening, we’re already seeing keen interest to book – something that bodes really well for their future success.”

Elaborating on the hotels’ objectives, Paul FitzGerald added: “Our renewed focus with reopening is on attracting those seeking leisure breaks and welcoming local residents to sample the restaurants, bars, and wedding and event spaces on offer as we look to restore the hotels to local hero status and develop a close bond with communities.”

The other reopening hotels within the collection are spread across 33 well-established leisure destinations in England, Scotland and Wales and includes properties located in celebrated spots such as the Windermere Hotel in Windermere, Cumbria, The Caledonian in Fort William, the Highlands and The Ship & Castle in St Mawes, Cornwall. Many of the hotels, as their collective name implies, are within areas close to coastal or rural attractions and offer clients a base to visit established regional tourist attractions or take part in active outdoor pursuits including so much in demand after months of lockdown.

Planned reopening dates vary depending on location. Most are hoping for the 17th May, while others will be opening in June.

Alongside the hotels, the portfolio will also include Derwent Manor Apartments, a set of 19 self-catering apartments in Keswick, Cumbria.

Thomas Greenall, Managing Director of Bespoke Hotels, said: “Coast & Country Hotel Collection is made up of some prominent local hotels in some wonderful and well-established leisure locations and we’re thrilled to be able to facilitate their reopening. We know the initial closures of many of these properties caused a real stir in their local communities last year, so we hope they’ll be keen to embrace their reopening and support the individual hotels in their endeavours.”

He added: “We hope this will be regarded as a very positive move for the industry – delivering jobs, support for communities and vital trade for suppliers and ancillary businesses.”

As part of reopening, Coast & Country has sought to actively re-employ previous staff, whilst also looking to offer new roles to those keen to join the hospitality industry and provide much needed jobs for people across the UK.

For further information, please visit: https://bespokehotels.com/hotels/coast-country-collection