Design focus Eastwell Manor, Champneys
Raising the banner at Eastwell Manor Iconic British brand Champneys has purchased its first ever spa hotel, challenging modern design capabilities to breathe new life into a historic UK property R E P OR T BY H EL L ENA B A R NE S
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he magnificent Eastwell Manor in Ashford, Kent, personifies a classic country house idyll, set on 3,000 acres of the Eastwell Park Estate with courtyard properties, verdant landscaping, ornate fountains and the ‘Garden of England’ as its backdrop. The name ‘East Well’ comes from a nearby spring where Saxon shepherds once watered their flocks, and the Jacobean-styled mansion has been rebuilt and remodelled throughout its many guises, from Victorian royal residence to its first opening as a hotel in 1980. The acquisition of Eastwell Manor by Champneys not only heralds a £10 million regeneration for the Grade-II listed property, but also signals a landmark strategy for the pioneering British spa brand, owned by mother and son partnership, Dorothy and Stephen Purdew. Having dedicated the past five decades to wellbeing, the Champneys group can now add its very first hotel venture to a portfolio that comprises four spa health resorts, six city spas, two training colleges, and an international product range. The Champneys owners had long been interested in taking over Eastwell Manor before it was purchased for an undisclosed sum from entrepreneur Turrloo Parrett. “We first looked at Eastwell Manor by chance when it wasn’t for sale, but we pressed on for two years to acquire the property,” reveals Stephen Purdew, chief executive of Champneys. “Then at the end of November 2016 we had the opportunity of a 99-year lease, which meant we could invest £10 million in the entire project.” Even as the purchase was proceeding, designers, planners and builders were being primed to start work in January of this year. “Obviously spa is our heritage, so we had to move swiftly – we couldn’t have a spa that didn’t match the Champneys standard, so the first £3 million went straight to the spa refurbishment,” states
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Purdew, revealing that once under the brand’s ownership an ambitious 12-week timeframe was set for the transformation of the spa building. “Stephen and I worked on the entire development plan and I scheduled the organisational brief for Goddard Littlefair, our interior design company, and Stoneforce, the main contractor,” affirms Champneys’ project director Chris Maryon. “We were always determined to relaunch the spa for an Easter opening, and completing a renovation to high standards in this timescale required preparation, planning, absolute attention to detail and pure dynamic teamwork.”
Dedicated and determined At the start of alterations to the 2,400sqm, two-storey spa layout, the building was stripped back to its shell, unfortunately revealing issues with existing air conditioning and plumbing installations. “Because the spa building was constructed in 2000 we did not have to apply for listed building consent, so were able to power ahead with the project. However, we didn’t know that over those 17 years no maintenance and engineering (M&E) had been undertaken, so we needed to replace considerable plant works, adding several hundred-thousand to the cost,” reveals Maryon. Regardless of this setback, the team’s determination carried the project forward. “We continued through the renovation systematically, reaching every programme
“Spa is our heritage, so we had to move swiftly. We couldn’t have a spa that didn’t match the Champneys standard, so the first £3 million went straight to the spa refurbishment.” Stephen Purdew Chief executive, Champneys
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