Five-star hotel in running for national award
THE luxury hotel and golf course owned by Boro boss Steve Gibson is in the running for a prestigious award.
Rockcliffe Hall has reached the finals of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence – the highest accolade in English tourism.
The five-star hotel, in Hurworth near Darlington, is home to an 18-hole championship golf course, which recently underwent a £400,000 redevelopment. It’s also the base for Middlesbrough FC’s training facilities and a leisure resort.
The building is a finalist in the Large Hotel of the Year category, which acknowledges hotels providing truly memorable guest experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business.
Jason Adams, managing director, said: “We are delighted to represent the region at the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
“I am proud of every team member who plays a part in delivering exceptional experiences for our guests at Rockliffe Hall and being recognised nationally would be a testament to their hard work and commitment.”
The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence will take place at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter on June 7, where Rockliffe Hall will be awarded either a bronze, silver or gold award.
The hotel is up against two other finalists, the Bowood Hotel, Spa and
Golf Resort in Wiltshire and Titanic Hotel Liverpool, Merseyside.
The 48 finalists competing in 16 core categories were chosen through a rigorous judging process by handpicked tourism industry experts. The awards’ categories range from Small Visitor Attraction of the Year and B&B and Guest House of the Year to Business Events Venue of the Year and Experience of the Year.
The VisitEngland Awards for Excellence champion the very best of the country’s tourism industry celebrating quality, innovation, best practice and exceptional customer service.
Rockcliffe Hall posted its first ever profit after benefiting from a ‘staycation’ boom in December last year. It recorded losses every year since first publishing annual accounts in 2007 after extensive investment in the complex. But the latest results show it has now swung into the black as it made a profit of £2.6m in the year to June 2022.
The earnings follow a loss of £1.2m a year earlier after the business was hit by the pandemic, during which it was forced to close temporarily. Turnover trebled to £12.5m from £4.8m a year earlier as hotel income jumped to £3.7m from £1.3m. The spa also benefited strongly from an easing of covid restrictions, with turnover rising to £2.5m from just £630,000 in the previous 12 months.
Food and drink sales surged to £4.4m from £1.4m as customers returned to the hotel’s high-end Orangery restaurant. In October the hotel announced Michelin-starred Paul Nicholson as the new head chef for the flagship venue.