This group of four couples have come into the world of hotel operation from a real mix of backgrounds including film, agronomy, management training, estate management and consulting.Together, they formed Pelham House Associates Ltd to buy the Grade II-listed Pelham House hotel in Lewes, Sussex, completing the sale in February this year. Having spent just over £2m buying the property, they spent another £1m refurbishing it, with the "boutique-style" interior design overseen by David's wife, Louise, and Harvey's wife, Osanna. David Anderson says: "It is a fantastic building - an opportunity like this comes along once every 50 years.
But it took a lot of winding roads to get here."All four partners are new to the operating business, although Sharif Horthy brings some experience from his role as a non-executive chairman of the board for Oriel Leisure, which owns and manages eight hotels in the UK. Operational nous, meanwhile, is being provided by the general manager and deputy general manager.But the couples' skills are not being wasted. The aim is to set up a multidisciplinary conference and training venue with 23 bedrooms, possibly rising to 30. Sharifin Gardiner has used his property and estate management skills to project-manage the renovation programme, while Horthy oversees the accounts and, along with Harvey Peters, has set up corporate training courses.
Meanwhile, film-maker Anderson, a Bafta award winner, aims to run high-level, short, intensive courses in film-making, video production and multimedia in the hotel's lecture theatre. "I feel very excited and positive about what could happen," he says.The group officially opened the property this week.www.pelhamhouse.com