SUMMER 11
COMPANY PROFILE
Luxury hotel resort chief puts success down to Scottish lessons
B
y now, few will have not heard about Rockliffe Hall, the stunning luxury hotel, golf and spa resort in County Durham, which opened to great fanfare south of the border at the end of 2009. It is winning both national and international acclaim and, now fast approaching its second anniversary, is winning many plaudits. No shortage of its success has been down to an individual who admits he has a lot to thank the Scottish tourism industry for, for ensuring Rockliffe Hall applied all the right attributes when opening its own doors. Nick Holmes, Rockliffe Hall’s managing director, spent 16 hugely successful years at some of Scotland’s most high profile destinations. Holmes was an instrumental part of the management team at Gleneagles during its crucial metamorphosis in the 1980s and, after helping establish four-star Craigendarroch near Blamoral, he then became the general manager of the team which opened the five-star Cameron House on Loch Lomond in the early 90’s. The lessons learned at Scotland’s most high profile resort destinations have clearly rubbed off as Rockliffe Hall, within a year of opening under Holmes’ stewardship, was also recognised by AA inspectors with five stars. “It’s wonderful to have stunning and luxury facilities, but the hospitality industry is built on service. That service element is the memory they take away with them, so its crucial to get that right. “We had amazing staff at Cameron House and Gleneagles and that same warmth and enthusiasm is what I see in our staff here now in the North East. It’s a very special thing to have.” As well as its people, the converted 18th Century country retreat has gone to incredible lengths to ensure its guests have the best of everything. With the venue lying just two hours train journey south of Edinburgh, it’s easy to see why this location could become a perfect destination for the Scottish business community. Condé Nast, the gatekeepers of high end hotel quality, has already awarded Rockliffe Hall for its
Nick Holmes, Managing Director, Rockliffe Hall classy corporate offering. That garland was soon followed by the award from North East Tourism for the best meetings and conference facilities in the region. Outside of the corporate confines, the facilities are no less impressive. The 18-hole golf course has already won plaudits from some of the very best in the game and prompted European Tour player, Graeme Storm, to tip the venue as a future Ryder Cup venue. A 50,000 ft newly created spa, features one of the UK’s largest hydrotherapy units and, headed by Scot Liz Holmes, is again winning plaudits from the most demanding in the industry. The Good Spa Guide awarded the facility ‘five bubbles’ for its dedication to health and wellbeing. One top of that, one of the most exciting new talents in British food, Kenny Atkinson, has his name above the door that the stunning Orangery restaurant. The double Michelin star winner has just been announced Director of Food for Rockliffe Hall’s entire food output, so oversees the resorts two other restaurants at the golf Clubhouse and in the Spa.
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Rockliffe Hall is fast gaining a reputation as a ‘go to’ resort for some of the most important events taking place across the UK. Within its first year, both the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and a top level FIFA delegation earmarked running the eye over Rockliffe Hall and its next door neighbours at Middlesbrough FC’s training academy as party of England’s (ultimately failed) bid to host the 2018 World Cup. Both visits were met with glowing praise for the resort which sits just outside Darlington on the banks of the River Tees. All of these things are undoubtedly welcome in positioning Rockliffe Hall as one of the finest new venues in the UK, but Holmes’ philosophy to concentrate on the detail has borne fruit. “Looking back,” said the married father of one, “you might be lucky to experience just one of these events in the lifetime of a successful hotel. This has all happened within the last 12 to 18 months. I cannot give enough credit to the team here who do everything to make sure every single person who drives down that tree-lined road into Rockliffe Hall has an experience which leaves them in no doubt they are at a top class venue. He concludes: “If there is one thing that I feel proud of since opening, it is the number of people who have fed back to us how welcome they have felt throughout their stay. I’m just as pleased these comments come from locals enjoying their Sunday Lunch in The Clubhouse as I am from a high profile member of the Olympics.”
Rockliffe Hall, Hurworth-on-Tees, Darlington, County Durham DL2 2DU Tel: (01325) 729999 Email: enquiries@rockliffehall.com Web: www.rockliffehall.com
BUSINESS QUARTER | SUMMER 11