Hotel expansion you can bank on

Apr 30 2008 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

A TYNESIDE hotelier has launched a £2m expansion of his popular Lake District hotel with backing from the Newcastle offices of a bank.

Rothay Garden Hotel will get additional bedrooms, a bigger kitchen and upgraded facilities, with cash support from NatWest.

A two-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow is also being constructed in the hotel grounds which will be occupied by Newcastle-born managing director Chris Carss enabling him to be on site 24 hours a day.

Chris says the deal is the culmination of 18 years of hard work at the hotel. “It’s really exciting to see all the work taking place. Once it is completed it will allow us to improve the hotel facilities and increase the guest capacity enabling us to build upon our reputation and number of awards we have already won,” he said.

The funding solution was put together by Michael Cross and Doug Fraser from the NatWest Commercial Banking team in Newcastle along with Mike Wilkes from Corporate Risk Solutions, Tim Kenyon from Lombard and Clive Ridsdale from RBS Invoice Finance.

Michael Cross, relationship manager, commercial banking at NatWest in Newcastle, said: “Rothay Garden Hotel is one of the best known hotels in the Lake District and I am delighted that we were able to structure a deal to allow Chris to conduct this development.

“Chris’ experience and knowledge of the local hotel market is very impressive and I am sure the expansion and improvement of the hotel will enable him to continue to be very successful in the future.”

The refurbishment will see the hotel extended to provide a further six bedrooms including four new loft suites boasting designer bathrooms and 6ft beds. There will also be air conditioning, flat screen televisions and a Bose sound system.

The kitchen, cold room, staff changing/common room, laundry and store will also be extended while the hotel foyer and staircase will be enlarged and refurbished to create an atrium for when guests enter the hotel.

Floor layouts are being altered to create larger rooms and bigger public areas for hotel guests. All of the current bedrooms will also be upgraded. The refurbishment will also see the hotel’s star rating increase from three to four.