Restored 'gem of a hotel'

TWO guests arrive at the reception of Seaham Hall, pulling cases and looking weary and, immediately, general manager Ross Grieve steps forward. Despite being otherwise engaged, it’s an instinct he can’t ignore, honed by several years in the hotel industry, and he smiles warmly, inquiring about their journey and welcoming them. It is standards like this that have helped the hotel regain its reputation as being among the best in the UK.

Seaham Hall’s history is well-documented. Built by the landowner Sir Ralph Milbanke in 1791, it famously hosted the wedding of his daughter Annabella to the poet Lord Byron in 1815. For many years, it served as a hospital, before falling out of use and lying derelict. It was the vision of former Sage director Tom Maxfield that saved it, prompting a £20m investment to transform it into a five-star hotel.

When Tom sold it, however, the hotel’s fortunes took a downturn. New owners Von Essen went into receivership, taking Seaham Hall with them. It was bought by a private investor in 2012 with the view to restoring it to its former glory and, over the past three years, Seaham Hall Management Company has ploughed more than £2m into achieving this aim.

Even before you go inside, there is evidence of a transformation. The trademark Vortex water feature whose swirling presence has always marked the hotel’s entrance has been lovingly restored, so that it looks as pristine as the day it was installed. The reception is light and bright, with seats added for guests’ comfort as they are checking in, and there is an overall sense of care and attention to detail – like in the newly sanded and re-varnished wood and freshly-painted entrance.

Among the biggest changes has been the relocation of the restaurant, which now occupies the former drawing room at the front of the hotel. The south-facing rear, which once accommodated the Michelin-starred White Room, has been restyled as a lounge and, unusually, a sports lounge. Ross explains that the old layout simply didn’t work. "We basically span the hotel on its axis. Now the joy of the Lounge, because it’s south-facing, is that the sun pours in.”

The new Byrons Bar and Grill has abandoned fine dining in favour of a more relaxed experience. While guests can still enjoy quality food prepared by executive chef Simon Bolsover and his team, and the hotel has ambitions to add to its two rosettes, there are no plans to chase another Michelin star. “We’ve created an a la carte menu which we hope and aspire delivers good quality cuisine at a very good level," says Ross.

Designed to keep guests entertained after dinner, the Tattinger Sports Lounge is a feature of which Ross is particularly proud. It boasts a 9ft pool table, table football and an 80-inch flat screen TV, and men often congregate there while women sit and chat in the lounge next door. “It’s been a great addition,” says Ross.

As a small hotel of only 20 bedrooms, Seaham Hall markets itself as boutique. It hasn’t gone too far down the wedding route, preferring to hire out the entire building for exclusive use rather than run the risk of disturbing other guests. It is a strategy that Ross hopes marks it out as different. He also sees the hotel’s Serenity Spa, repeatedly recognised by industry plaudits, as a strong asset.

“Currently 60 per cent of our business comes out of the spa building, including food and beverages, and gym membership; and 40 per cent comes out of the hotel,” says Ross. “Weddings are a sector of our market, but I don’t want to just be known as a wedding venue.”

Ross came to Seaham Hall in 2013 from the five-star Chester Grosvenor Hotel, having been head hunted by the owner, who chooses to remain anonymous. While renovations had already begun, he had autonomy from the outset, and has driven many of the changes. He says the owner’s main concern is for the best interests of the hotel and its staff.

“He doesn’t want anything – we’re allowed to put everything back into the property,” says Ross. “Our team is on a 40 per cent profit share, so when the hotel starts to make profit, which will be this year, for every £1, 40p will be coming back to them. We’ve taken it from the John Lewis/Waitrose model. It’s very unusual. The owner very much believes in rewarding the team, who are pushing revenues and watching the costs. We’re all pulling in the same direction.”

To help achieve a luxurious, contemporary look, Seaham Hall has enlisted designers Simon Bartlett and Louise James, who have transformed the décor, making purple the dominant colour and adding granite, crushed velvet and hunting-themed wallpaper. The combination works well and gives the hotel individuality.

In the latest of Ross’s innovations, Louise is designing a new meeting room with the Vortex as its theme. “The designer was given the brief of ‘What does Apple do? What does Google do?’,” says Ross. “Yes, it will be a meeting room, but it’s meant to be creative.”

So far, the hard work is paying off. Seaham Hall has regained its five-star rating and, this year, was named by Trip Advisor users as one of the top 25 hotels in the UK. While it has been neglected, Ross says the quality of Tom Maxfield’s restoration has provided a solid base for improvements. “That’s what has allowed us to bring elements of it back quite easily,” he says.

There may be more to do, but there is a will to succeed – and Ross remains convinced of Seaham Hall’s potential. “When I first came up to have a look at the property, it was a dark, bleak North-East evening, but it’s one of those properties that even in the doldrums, has a wow factor,” he says. “I call it a little gem of a hotel.”

W: seaham-hall.co.uk

Seaham Hall timeline

1791 – Built by Sir Ralph Milbanke on the site of Seaham House.

1815 – Hosted the wedding of Annabella Milbanke to Lord Byron.

1821 – Sold to Charles Vane, Baron Stewart for £63,000.

1914 – Taken over by the Army as a military hospital.

1922 ¬– Became a secret bottling and distribution centre for Scotch whisky.

1927 – Reverted to a hospital.

1985 – First opened as a hotel after being taken over by Iraqi-born businessman Kusia Jalal.

2001 – Unveiled as a luxury hotel after a £20m investment by Tom Maxfield.

2008 – Sold to Van Essen Hotels.

2011 – Went into receivership.

2012 – Taken over by Seaham Hall Management Company.