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INTERVIEW
Chris Naylor
Managing Director, Peckforton Castle. At just 31 years of age, Chris Naylor is managing director of the family-owned, luxury boutique hotel Peckforton Castle, which is located in the heart of Cheshire. The Naylor family acquired Peckforton Castle in 2006 when it was operating at almost a quarter of a million pound loss and has since set about transforming the hotel into a thriving business. There have been plenty of tough challenges along the way. The fact that Peckforton Castle is a Grade I listed building – described by English Heritage as the only intact, medieval style castle in the country – presents a challenge to refurbishment projects and infrastructure, while the economic downturn has, of course, presented its own difficulties. Despite that Peckforton Castle is a highly regarded, up and coming North West hotel and its future has never looked brighter. Here, he discusses the challenges involved: We acquired Peckforton Castle knowing it was a struggling business, but we saw the potential. Not only was the venue operating at a very unhealthy loss, but it didn’t have the best reputation in the area. We decided to buy it after I got married there in 2005. I could see the potential immediately. Back then Peckforton Castle was regarded as just a wedding venue, but I saw the chance to really expand the business offering and turn the Castle into a leading North West hotel.
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West Chester & North Wales Chamber of Commerce Magazine