Calcot Manor
An excellent hotel that is at the top of its three-star category and happy to be there. That was how the judges summarised Calcot Manor, winner of this year's Independent Hotel of the Year Catey.
The 28-bedroom hotel, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, was singled out by the judges for its ability to juggle all its markets successfully, and for having turned itself from a traditional country house hotel into a modern offering for the 21st century.
Calcot Manor was bought by the Ball family in 1984 as a five-bedroom house. It then ran the 1980s country house boom to become a 14-bedroom property with a restaurant that held a Michelin star for seven years. But as the country house bubble burst, it was time to rethink the offering and Calcot set out on a new path.
The result is still a quintessential country house hotel with modern trappings, many of which have come to fruition over the past 12 months. "Calcot not only successfully maintained its high standards of service but also significantly developed its product offering in 2003," said nominator Peter Birnie, chief inspector of hotels and restaurants at the AA.
Additions include a swanky new spa with a 16-metre indoor swimming pool, outside Jacuzzi, gym, fitness studio and treatment rooms including a dry flotation bed and heated hamman massage table. This facility has proved extremely popular with the locals, with some 500 outside memberships available. But perhaps the most impressive feature is the offering for children. While big people opt for sybaritic pampering, little ones are looked after in the Playzone, a safe haven of primary-coloured toys and countless distractions.
Teenagers are catered for, too, and can choose from PlayStation nirvana or watching movies in the mini cinema. It's the choice that Calcot offers that makes it such an outstanding hotel, decided the judges of this award. Choice follows through in food, too. The newly renovated Conservatory restaurant features a Champagne bar, a display kitchen and a wood-burning oven with a strong emphasis on Mediterranean food. Parents worried about whether their children will knock pepper pots off the tables or dip their sleeves in their soup can opt for the more relaxed offering of the Gumstool Inn, a gastropub operation that has also proved very popular with locals.
Of course it's not just about what you offer. For a business to be successful it has to demonstrate financial clout. Calcot has also managed to achieve this, with pre-tax profit rising from £123,000 in 2001 to £171,000 in 2002."For a family-run operation to ring in so many changes is a true achievement," summarised judge Albert Hampson.