Pictured above: Newton Park
Managers at a south Derbyshire hotel have praised staff for
helping the venue to achieve four-star status.
Owned by Jarvis Hotels Ltd, the Newton Park Hotel in the
picturesque village of Newton Solney has been granted a four-star
country house hotel rating by both the AA and Visit England.
In addition the hotel has picked up an Enjoy England breakfast
award, given to hotels offering guests a quality and choice of
breakfast, service and hospitality which exceed what would be
expected at their star rating.
Inspectors from the AA and Visit England independently turned up
unannounced to check the hotel's facilities and service, booking an
overnight stay at the Newton Park. Visit Britain inspected in
December when the hotel was extremely busy with Christmas parties
while the AA carried out an inspection at the beginning of
February.
General Manager Tom Keaveny said: "I'm extremely happy for the
staff. I came here 18 months ago and set them a target of achieving
four-star status.
"Instead of making redundancies in the recession, we've invested
heavily in staff training, focusing on customer service. I always
thought the hotel was capable of becoming a four-star
establishment. It's great for the staff and it's great for the area
too."
The company spent £100,000 on improving the grade-two
listed, 18th-century former home of brewer William Worthington. Now
managers believe it is the only four-star hotel in East
Staffordshire and South Derbyshire.
A Visit England inspector enjoyed a "very comfortable stay" at
the Newton Park and noted that the bedrooms were "well planned to
meet the needs of both the commercial traveller and the leisure
market."
She said her experienced was "enhanced by the friendly,
courteous team in place, a credit to very good recruitment
procedures and the longevity of service of some key members of the
staff."
The hotel also created a good impression with its breakfast
service. The inspector arrived near the end of the sitting and
found the produce, all bought locally, had constantly been
re-stocked.
The Newton Park employs 40 staff all the year round and 60 in
peak season.
The hotel is set in eight acres of private grounds and
specialises in wedding receptions and conferences.
Tom Keaveny who until two years ago was proprietor of the
Hardinge Arms, Kings Newton, added: "We've raised the bar and our
intention is to improve the standard even further."