A Flintshire hotel and conference centre has invested £500,000 into the first stage of a wide-scale refurbishment as it aims to make a strong rebound post-pandemic.
The Beaufort Park Hotel in New Brighton has undergone a major refurbishment of its main function centre as well as the first phase in a total redesign of the hotel’s 105 rooms.
Since being purchased by new owners three years ago, the hotel has developed a long-term plan to update and expand the site, with significant progress made on the refurbishment since the beginning of the pandemic.
General manager at the Beaufort Park Hotel Mark Small said: “We have been very excited to welcome guests back into the hotel and see them taking full advantage of the new developments and we hope this is just the start of a strong return to full business once restrictions on accommodation sites ease entirely.
“It has not just been major projects which we have undertaken over the course of the pandemic, we’ve also done a lot of work behind the scenes to improve the quality of the visitor experience for our guests, such as upgrading from a traditional key system to a card-scanning system for rooms and the upgrading of our boiler system.
“As a member of staff, it is incredibly encouraging to see the owners willing to invest in the hotel, across my 24 years working here I have never seen such an investment made into the Beaufort and it can only be a positive for the site and the local economy as well.”
The most significant part of the redevelopment has been in the hotel’s main function room the Westminster Suite, which has been refurbished to allow for a maximum of 250 guests and saw new audio-visual equipment installed.
Alongside the function suite refurbishment was the first phase in a complete redesign of the hotel’s 105 rooms, with 15 rooms stripped to just the walls before being recreated in a modern manner, with entirely new furniture and amenities installed.
A new outdoor terrace area has also been added to the hotel to allow for al fresco dining, with plans to further expand the hotel’s external offerings through the purchasing of surrounding property.
The investment has allowed the hotel to further support its services towards the local community and suppliers, with customer backing during the pandemic ensuring continued growth of the business.
Mark added: “Before the pandemic, a lot of our major business came in the form of tourist coaches and large functions such as weddings; during Covid that side of business naturally took an impact due to travelling restrictions and party sizes.
“Thankfully, we’ve managed to offset much of that business thanks to the backing of the local community who have utilised our services instead, by supporting schemes like our online click and collect programme during the first lockdown in 2020.
“That backing is something we have sought to repay in a way through the redevelopments, often utilising local contractors and businesses where possible to keep that money within the county.
“For the 80 staff we have on site, they have been overwhelmed by the support not only from the owners, but the local area and it is fantastic to see that their hard work is paying off now as we move out of the pandemic.”
