beattitude the newsletter of the Bespoke Hotel Company
inside East. West. Bespoke’s best.
Edition 18
behold the front page… Off the peg? Never. Run of the mill? No thanks. Generic? You cannot be serious. We’re bespoke, and proud of it. The only common factors here are great service, a flair for hospitality and recognition that you want to be treated like an individual, not a room number. And people seem to like it. Our eclectic group of hotels just keeps on growing.
...because there’s always something new at the Bespoke Hotel Group. To keep fully up to speed, you’ll need to go to www.bespokehotels.com where you’ll find the very latest news about our eclectic portfolio that now stretches from Cornwall to Scotland in the UK, and from Europe to Australia across the world.
The real Hotel GB Channel 4’s riotous Hotel GB, which was shot at our very own Bermondsey Square Hotel will be back with a new series. With Gordon Ramsay, Mary Portas, Gok Wan and a host of other celebrities the launch series was deemed a huge success, and more importantly raised a load of money for various charities.
Check in and check us out, and join the growing number of leisure and business guests who agree that it’s better to be bespoke.
Cooking up a storm With virtually zero light pollution, The Lugger Hotel’s amazing sea-front location in Portloe, Cornwall (see the main image on the front cover of this edition of Beattitude) is an incredible spot to star-gaze or storm-watch. Ask about the hotel’s special Storm Watch and dinner packages.
All new website Take a look at our website. With more than 90 hotels worldwide, there’s a Bespoke Hotel for you. You’ll find it easy to identify the perfect place for your holiday, city break or business trip. The website is designed to help you search by place, type and facilities so that you can quickly home in on the hotel for you.
A betoken of your affection Front cover, main picture: The Welcombe Hotel, Spa & Golf Club, in Stratford-upon-Avon. Bespoke Hotels 14 The Coda Centre 189 Munster Road London SW6 6AW
Here’s a great gift idea for a loved one. You can buy Bespoke vouchers at reception in many of our properties, or online at: bespokehotels.com/pages/vouchers The vouchers can be redeemed against bedrooms, restaurants and spas at participating Bespoke Hotels.
ready to begin? · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
Expectations Met The Sheffield Metropolitan Hotel, which was launched by Bespoke in 1999, is back in the Bespoke fold. It’s now one of our b2 hotels, which also includes The Bermondsey Square Hotel in London. The 111-bedroom hotel close to the city centre is perfect for business travellers and family weekend breaks, with good access to the city centre on one side, yet 20 minutes from the Peak District National Park. Sheffield has great shopping, sports arenas, galleries and an amazing interactive science centre.
we’ve got the befactor
We like our leading talents to get the recognition they deserve, and that’s why any member of staff can be nominated for a ‘befactor’ award. We reward their dedication at an annual gala dinner. This year’s winners included Employees of the Year Craig Paterson and Josh Rose, Chef of the Year Indunil Upatissa, Amanda Mortimer for her Business Initiative of the Year, and Humber Royal as the Bespoke Hotel of the Year.
The stars come out for The Humber Royal
Turning over a New Leaf The Humber Royal in North East Lincolnshire, which joined the Bespoke Hotel group in early 2012, has been awarded a prestigious 4-star rating by Visit England’s ‘Quality in Tourism’ scheme. A £3 million refurbishment recently added six bedrooms and a large function room. Restaurant, bar and all 52 existing bedrooms were redesigned and refurbished.
The New Leaf Spa at Clumber Park Hotel has had a makeover of its own, with a new lounge, a refurbished den, a new café and retail area. There is also an all-new menu of spa treatments, day packages and breaks. The New Leaf is just one of a number of superb spa facilities in the group. If you’d like to see where else you could go for a bit of Bespoke pampering, go to bespokehotels.com /hotels-by-type and select ‘Spa’. from Berkshire to Bermondsey · www.bespokehotels.com
chefs are better when they’re bespoke
www.bespokehotels.com
BITE as much as you like
BITE is back. Join us for breakfasts, brunches, lunches, teas and dinners; pop-up restaurants; cocktails and fine wines; masterclasses, talks and tastings; meet the chef and book signings; food fairs and farmers markets. We’ve spread our wings, with events during 2013 across the UK and throughout the Cotswolds in the first week of February 2014.
it’s better to belong with our Privilege Card
belong your bespoke privilege card
000213459
It’s better because: you are entitled to automatic discounts and upgrades; you’ll be first to know about Bespoke offers; and we’ll also send you offers exclusive to our card-holders. If you’d like to join the Bespoke privilege card scheme, go to: bespokehotels.com/pages/privilegecard
belong your bespoke privilege card
www.bespokehotels.com/pages/privilegecard
It’s nice to be liked
Buy a BITE voucher Bite off as much as you can chew with a BITE voucher. They’re available to buy now at www.thebite.co – the perfect gift for a foodie friend.
Thousands of people have liked us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/bes pokehotels) and followed us on Twitter (@bespokehotels). Why not join them, and be the first to hear about Bespoke news, offers and competitions.
Follow us on
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beinternational Bespoke’s international portfolio has taken flight, and now includes hotels in Europe, the Caribbean, India, the Far East, and Australia.
Bells at Killcare, one hour north of Sydney, is a boutique hotel, restaurant and spa that forms one of Australia’s most distinctive resorts. It features luxury accommodation, private cottages, a multi award-winning restaurant, day spa, manicured grounds and pool.
Just the right flavour Peppermint is a group of hotels in India that are unique in design, value and service, created by people who appreciate attention to detail and the international traveller’s needs. We’re delighted to welcome Peppermint Jaipur, a 60-bedroom hotel, to the Bespoke group. The hotel has swimming pool, gymnasium, large meeting/function room, and a variety of eating spaces – an excellent choice for a business trip or holiday.
Andersen Boutique Hotel is a small, privately-owned hotel, offering excellent service and great design. It is in the bustling and trendy Vesterbro neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. The entire hotel is decorated with textiles and wallpapers from Designers Guild with a vibrant urban colour scheme throughout the 73 rooms, restaurant and the hip lobby lounge. Make the most of Copenhagen – it's a beautiful buzzing City.
Majorca. But not as you know it. The 31 bedroom boutique hotel offers spacious rooms, full of light with glorious views. A magnificent 30-metre swimming pool overlooks the village of Puigpunyent and the surrounding mountains. A remarkable collection of original artworks by artists such as Marc Chagall, Frank Stella, David Hockney and Andy Warhol adorns the walls of this boutique hotel.
Le A is a stylish 4-star boutique hotel, designed by Frederic Mechiche and inspired by the artist Fabrice Hybert, near the Champs Elysée, with 25 junior suites, deluxe rooms and apartment. This is a wonderful place to stay in its own right, even better for its setting in the centre of one of the world’s great cities.
Gran Hotel Son Net is an exquisite luxury Estate just 20 minutes from Palma, on the island of Majorca. This breathtaking historical mansion dates back to the 17th century, and has been lovingly restored into an elegant sanctuary amid the rugged Sierra Tramuntana Mountains (now a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site). You’ll find more information about all of these Be International properties at www.bespokehotels.com
life’s a beach · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
Spotlight on The Grosvenor Arms and Worplesdon Place The Grosvenor Arms – an old coaching inn on the High Street of Shaftesbury – is the heartbeat of this Dorset market town made famous by the old Hovis advertisement featuring Gold Hill. The restaurant with rooms has been fully refurbished recently and now offers fine food, impeccable service throughout the day and 16 wonderfully comfortable bedrooms and suites. Stop in for a coffee before you explore Gold Hill. Book a table for lunch or dinner. Stay a couple of nights and give yourself time to visit not just Shaftesbury, but the Dorset coastline, the heritage cities of Bath and Salisbury, or a National Trust property such as Stourhead or Longleat. Worplesdon Place is a hotel, bar and grill on the outskirts of Guildford in Surrey with 21 comfortable, en suite bedrooms and a honeymoon suite. The hotel is set in superb grounds with a large garden, a lake and its own resident duck family. Guildford is close enough to London for a day out and convenient for the many family attractions in Surrey such as Thorpe Park and Chessington. There is shopping in Guildford, and days out in the countryside. Epsom, Sandown, Kempton and Lingfield horse-racing are all within easy reach of Worplesdon Place.
be the first to go · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
Welcome to Chipping Campden
The elegant High Street of Chipping Campden is home to two Bespoke properties – Cotswold House Hotel and Spa, and the Noel Arms Hotel.
Cotswold House Hotel and Spa “Each room is very different but all remain faithful to the decor of a country manor house and are the perfect place for afternoon naps and hours spent wrapped in dressing gowns after that muddy walk”, says Elle magazine.
This ancient Cotswolds town has wonderful historic buildings, interesting shops and restaurants and, of course, some of the most beautiful countryside in the world within walking distance.
The gardens at Cotswold House – perfect for a summer’s evening. The Temple Spa at Cotswold House – with hydrotherapy pool, steam-room and treatment rooms. The Cotswold House Spa – winner of Spa of the Year 2013 in the LateRooms.com Best Kept Secrets Awards.
The Noel Arms The Noel Arms is one of the oldest inns in the Cotswolds, with bedrooms, restaurant, function rooms, conservatory and coffee shop, as well
as serial award winner Indunil Sanchi, three times winner and current holder of the Great British Pub Awards Curry Chef. be a part of it · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
it’s better to be bespoke
the directory of the Bespoke Hotel Company
beloved The Olde Bell Carlton Hotel The Lugger The Wyck Hill House Hotel & Spa Cotswold House Hotel & Spa The Wood Norton BridgeHouse The Grosvenor Arms Lifehouse Spa & Hotel The New Ellington Ten Manchester Street The Bermondsey Square Hotel Hotel Gotham Stonefield Castle Rick’s Tigerlily Columba Hotel Newton Hotel Welcombe Hotel Flitwick Manor Hotel befriend Cantley House Hotel Thames Riviera Hotel Strathallan Hotel East Cliff Court Hotel Menzies Cambridge Hotel Brook Meadow Hotel Stonehouse Court Hotel The Noel Arms Ennerdale Country House Mickleover Court Risley Hall Hotel & Spa George Hotel The Speech House Hotel East Horton Golf Club Marwell South Lawn Hotel Aubrey Park Hotel Humber Royal Hotel Prince Regent Hotel The Lodge Hotel The Park Hotel Clumber Park Hotel & Spa The Lambert Arms Menzies Aberdeen Airport Hotel Menzies Irvine Hotel Carnoustie Golf Hotel Menzies Glasgow Hotel Skeabost Country House Gleddoch Golf Hotel & Spa Tulloch Castle Sheffield Metropolitan Dillington House Stone House Hotel
150 250 45 200 85 200 30 60 80 30 10 120 100 140
Berkshire Berkshire Birmingham Bournemouth Cambridge Cheshire Cotswolds Cotswolds Cumbria Derbyshire Derbyshire Essex Forest of Dean Hampshire Hampshire Hampshire Hertfordshire Lincolnshire Chigwell, London Putney, London Teddington, London Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Aberdeen, Scotland Ayrshire, Scotland Carnoustie, Scotland Glasgow, Scotland Isle of Skye, Scotland Renfrewshire, Scotland Ross-Shire, Scotland Sheffield Somerset Staffordshire
RG40 5QG SL6 8DW B16 9RY BH1 3AN CB23 8EU CH66 7NS GL10 3RA GL55 6AT CA23 3DT DE3 0XX DE72 3SS CO1 1TD GL16 7EL SO50 7EA SO21 1JY SO41 0RF AL3 7AF DN34 4LX IG8 8AE SW15 2RN TW11 OAB S80 3PA OX49 5SB AB21 7DW KA11 4LD DD7 7JE G3 8AZ IV51 9NP PA14 6YE IV15 9ND S1 2AU TA19 9DT ST15 0BQ
150 170 170 200 300 200 150 45 300 200 110 70 75 240 200 150 120 450 350 90 170 200 140 400 280 350 160 60 150 120 40 160 150
60 450 250 60
Bedrooms
SL6 5LX BH1 3DN TR2 5RD GL54 1HY GL55 6AN WR11 4YB DT8 3AY SP7 8JA CO16 0JD LS1 2EY W1U 4DJ SE1 3UN M60 8HG PA29 6YJ EH2 1HL EH2 4JN IV3 5NF IV12 4RX CV37 0NR MK45 1AE
Pet friendly
Berkshire Bournemouth Cornwall Cotswolds Cotswolds Cotswolds Dorset Dorset Essex Leeds London London Manchester Argyll, Scotland Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh, Scotland Inverness, Scotland Nairn-Shire, Scotland Stratford-upon-Avon Woburn
Golf
Postcode
Spa treatments
Location
Pool
Hotel name & collection
Weddings
H O T E L S
Conferences and banqueting
“bespoke”
48 76 22 60 28 50 13 16 89 34 45 80 60 32 10 33 76 56 78 18
36 52 135 67 136 25 36 28 30 99 35 47 37 0 66 24 137 58 61 60 43 73 44 212 128 85 141 14 70 20 111 40 50
be there Royal King’s Arms Huntly Arms Kintore Arms Hotel Argyll Hotel Arrochar Hotel Regent Hotel Royal Hotel Thurso Highlander Hotel Dunollie Hotel Kings Arms Hotel Kyle Hotel Caledonian Hotel be inns The Elephant Master Builders The Marquis at Alkham The Bull & Swan The William Cecil Worplesdon Place The Methuen Arms The Pembroke Arms be international Bells at Killcare Gibbs Glade Cottage Andersen Hotel Château Eza Le A Mount Hartman Bay Estate I Pretti Resort Peppermint Peppermint Jake’s Treasure Beach Hotel Seokyo Fountainhead Gran Hotel Son Net Rocky’s Boutique Resort Mariner’s Lodge & Marina be apart Staying Cool Birmingham Staying Cool Manchester Staying Cool Barcelona
Lancaster Aberdeenshire, Scotland Aberdeenshire, Scotland Argyll, Scotland Argyll, Scotland Argyll, Scotland Caithness, Scotland Inverness-Shire, Scotland Isle of Skye, Scotland Isle of Skye, Scotland Lochalsh, Scotland Ross-Shire, Scotland
LA1 1HP AB34 5HS AB51 3QJ PA32 8XB G83 7AU PA34 5PZ KW14 8EH PH20 1AY IV49 9AE IV41 8PH IV40 8AB IV26 2UG
100 120 150 150
Berkshire Hampshire Kent Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Surrey Wiltshire Wiltshire
RG8 7AR SO42 7XB CT15 7DF PE9 2LJ PE9 2LJ GU3 3RY SN13 0HB SP2 0BH
Sydney, Australia Barbados Copenhagen, Denmark Nice, France Paris, France Grenada Sicily, Italy Gurgaon, India Jaipur, India Jamaica Seoul, South Korea Andalusia, Spain Majorca, Spain Ko Samui, Thailand Florida, USA
Birmingham Manchester Barcelona, Spain
50 100
60 25 25
120 70 70 80
60
20
100 200 150 300
200 225 150 120
B2 4PA M15 4QU
Bedrooms
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60 250 200 120 130 200 50 70 400
Golf
CB8 8NB IP28 6JQ CR5 2LL KT16 8JZ CF10 1DW CF3 2XR SA71 5NT SN13 0PS DY13 9JA
Spa treatments
Suffolk Suffolk Surrey Surrey Cardiff, Wales Cardiff, Wales Pembrokeshire, Wales Wiltshire Worcestershire
Pool
Postcode
Weddings
Rutland Arms Hotel The Suffolk Golf & Spa Hotel Coulsdon Manor Hotel & Golf Club The Bridge Hotel The Royal Hotel St Mellons Lamphey Court Hotel & Spa Guyers House Hotel Stourport Manor Hotel
Location
Conferences and banqueting
Hotel name & collection
46 40 37 51 60 41 39 37 68
55 50 27 36 76 83 103 85 84 81 30 83
22 26 10 7 28 21 28 9
25 4 73 11 25 12 16 60 60 35 135 4 31 50 30
26 6 1
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beloved luxury hotels
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be international hotels abroad be apart chic apartments
good, better, bespoke · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
Around the houses Over the last 15 years, we’ve checked out hundreds of hotels, so you can check in. We’ve identified the individual, the idiosyncratic, the iconic, the chic, the boutique, the hip, the handy and the homely. In other words, the bespoke – the ones with a difference.
Coulsdon Manor Hotel and Golf Club in Surrey (pictured right), is just one of many Bespoke Hotels with golf courses. Find them all – including the iconic Carnoustie Golf Hotel (pictured below) – at bepokehotels.com/hotels-by-type and searching Golf.
The Lugger Hotel in Cornwall. “Search no further for a discreet, peaceful and romantic Cornish retreat” says The Times. If it’s rejuvenation and relaxation you’re looking for, just go to bepokehotels.com/hotels-by-type and search Spa.
beats working · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
From dips in any of our spa pools, to chips at one of our golf courses. From barbecues to snooker cues. Sun traps and lobster pots. Castles and spirits. Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to be, you’ll find an unbeatable bespoke experience.
That’s the spirit!
There are now 25 Bespoke Hotels across Scotland, including Stonefield Castle by the side of Loch Fyne and two miles from the fishing village of Tarbert, where you will, not surprisingly, find a fine selection of whiskies and some very fresh seafood.
Indulge yourself at a Bespoke Hotel. Book a room now, by calling central reservations on 0844 815 9833.
been there done that · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
Welcome to Shakespeare Country
The Welcombe Hotel Spa and Golf Club is a historic country house just outside Stratford upon Avon. This impressive Jacobean style, Grade II listed mansion has 78 bedrooms, 157 acres of parkland and gardens, an 18-hole championship golf course with separate clubhouse, a 2-Rosette restaurant and seven self-contained luxury apartments. The large
spa and fitness facilities have everything you need for a really revitalising break.
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” William Shakespeare
“Golf is not just an exercise; it’s an adventure, a romance, a Shakespeare play in which disaster and comedy are intertwined.” Harold Segall
“A woman would run through fire and water for such a kind heart.” William Shakespeare
“Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners.” William Shakespeare
to be or not to be · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
Perfect for trips to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, exploring the Cotswolds, spa pampering breaks, golf trips, and a stunning wedding setting.
To the manor born
The Prince Regent at Chigwell
Flitwick Manor is a gem of a Georgian country house in a beautiful parkland setting. With just 18 bedrooms this is very much a boutique hotel, famous for fine-dining and often hired on
an exclusive basis for private and business functions. Check out Flitwick Manor particularly if you’re planning a trip to Woburn Safari Park or Silverstone.
Bournemouth, at the double Bespoke has recently added two sea-front hotels to the portfolio – the Carlton Hotel and East Cliff Court Hotel in Bournemouth. Both feature their own outdoor swimming pool, easy access to the beach, fine restaurants and firstrate conference facilities. With spa, indoor pool, gym and Jacuzzi, the 76-bedroom Carlton is a slightly more geared towards the
This elegant, listed Georgian building is a small oasis of calm at one of the country’s major intersections. Sitting in the gardens, you wouldn’t believe you’re close to the M11 and M25, and just 20 minutes from the London Olympic Park. As well as 61 bedrooms, there are five different conference suites for anything from 10 to 300 guests/delegates. It’s a safe bet for the 02 Arena, the London Olympic Park, access to central London and Stansted Airport, conferences, meetings and weddings.
leisure traveller, while the 67-bedroom East Cliff Court Hotel has a number of large function rooms which ensure it is a very popular conference destination. Easy access to Bournemouth International Conference Centre, and ideal for a health and leisure break in one of the South coast’s most popular destinations. good, better, bespoke · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
weddings are better when they’re bespoke
www.bespokehotels.com
Second city, first foray.
Move in the right circles
Birmingham is generally thought of as England’s ‘second city’ (though Manchester may have a few words to say about that!), and Strathallan is Bespoke’s first foray here. This stunning circular lobby area is a feature of the purpose-built Mickleover Court Hotel in Derby, which has 99 bedrooms, a large leisure club and a range of conference and function rooms.
Purpose-built as a hotel, in a unique circular design over seven floors, Strathallan is just over a mile from Birmingham city centre and within a mile of the National Indoor Arena and International Convention Centre. Stourport Manor – further out from Birmingham, but strategically placed for the Midlands motorway network – has 23 acres of grounds, a leisure club with swimming pool, squash and tennis courts, and a variety of function rooms.
Let the games begin Our portfolio in Scotland has been boosted again with the addition of hotels in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Irvine – all of these hotels have large function rooms for weddings and business events.
Course work at Cambridge
The Irvine has its own 9-hole golf course. The Aberdeen Hotel can accommodate just about any size of function or conference with 212 bedrooms and capacity for up to 400!
With golf course, leisure club and 136 bedrooms, Bespoke’s first Cambridge hotel is the perfect place for a bit of coursework if you are visiting the city or the University.
And Bespoke’s first Glasgow city centre hotel has a large leisure complex, ideally located for 2014’s Commonwealth Games in the city. uber chic · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
Wedding bells? We’d like to propose to you too. be our guest If you’ve enjoyed your stay at a Bespoke Hotel, why not let someone else enjoy the same. Bespoke gift vouchers are available to purchase from www.bespokehotels.com/pages/ vouchers
When you book your wedding and holiday at a participating Bespoke Hotel*, the first and last nights of your honeymoon are on us. That’s your wedding night at the Bespoke Hotel where you hold your reception – for free; and the last night at any participating Bespoke hotel where you spend at least seven nights of your honeymoon – for free. Do you accept? See www.bespokehotels.com/weddingbells for more information.
wedding bells · www.bespokehotels.com · t 0844 815 9833 · e info@bespokehotels.com
Exceptional vineyards and outstanding winemaking techniques make Maison 'XYDO /HUR\ WKH FKRLFH RI WKH ÀQHVW restaurants. Rosé Prestige deploys both elegance and charm. Its colour, woven from pinot noir and chardonnay glows with hints of amber. Its bouquet exhibits a perfect spectrum of aromas. Endowed with a deep maturity and a profound and balanced vinosity, Cuvee Duval-Leroy Rosé Prestige is, for lovers of great Rosés, a dream.
NO ORDINARY RACE. NO ORDINARY TEAM.
FREE TEAM FLASK WITH TWO DRAMS OF GLENFIDDICH. VISIT THE HOTEL BAR TO ‘JOIN THE TEAM’. Over 18’s only, subject to availability, one deal per customer, no cash alternative, please ask in hotel bar for details of qualifying purchase.
SKILFULLY CRAFTED. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.