Kentish Express Ashford & District
Luxury spa hotel estate set for £8m makeover
Eastwell Manor is set to receive an £8 million makeover after national chain Champneys announced a major takeover.
The successful luxury spa chain has acquired the impressive venue in Boughton Aluph, which is set to undergo huge renovations ahead of an official relaunch at Easter.
Champneys owner Stephen Purdew made the announcement to staff and business associates at the estate on Monday.
Turrloo Parrett, who has owned the business since 1995, will continue as official owner but will pass the management reigns over to the Purdew family.
Introducing the new boss to his staff, Mr Parrett said: “We are delighted that we are now involved with Champneys.
“It will be a wonderful beginning for Ashford. Eastwell Manor is a great product and I want it to continue.
“We are happy that we have Champneys to take it forward and see it continue down the path we started 20 years ago.”
The Champneys Group operates four resort spas and six city spas in the UK. Eastwell Manor is its first new acquisition in 10 years, and will be the company’s fifth resort spa and The Eastwell Manor estate sits within 3,000 acres and is home to Eastwell Manor Hotel, Dreams beauty spa, several farm buildings and a ruined church.
It offers 62 bedrooms and suites, two restaurants, a spa and leisure facilities.
The building has history dating back to the Norman Conquest and the hotel maintains traditional features.
The original country house was built for Sir Thomas Moyle in 1540, with further wings and buildings added the group’s first resort in Kent.
The hotel will be operated under the title of Champneys at Eastwell after a big investment, relaunch and creation of up to 160 new jobs.
Mr Purdew said: “We’re throughout the years. One of the men employed on the estate was the bricklayer Richard Plantagenet, who claimed to be an illegitimate son of Richard III.
It then passed through the hands of a number of highprofile occupiers, including the 11th Earl of Winchilsea and the second son of Queen Victoria, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.
In the 1920s, the main house was severely damaged by fire and rebuilt on the same site a few years later. really happy. We love the property, love the area and are really happy to be in Kent.
“There’s a real shortage of quality hotels in this area and there’s nothing really that stands out.
“But this will become an iconic, five star hotel with a spa that competes with those in the Cotswolds.
“We’ll invest £6 to £8 million in the next 18 months, and we will hopefully put additional bedrooms on.
“There are 140 people working here now so hopefully that will increase to 250 to 300.
“We haven’t got to reinvent the wheel. The basics are here. They have some very good staff and they have some very good standards of service, and I’m sure we can build upon that.”
Mr Purdew, who owns Champneys with his mum, Dorothy, and runs the business with his wife, Isabelle, said they have had their eye on Eastwell Manor for more than 18 months.
He added: “Mr Parrett is getting on a bit and there needed to be an investment because it became apparent there were two options – either the business would stagnate and do nothing or someone was going to have to come in, acquire it and invest.
“I just pestered the life out of them until they sold it to me.
“There comes a time when a property as beautiful as this needs new energy and new investment.” Go to www.champneys.com for more information