Member Article

North East hotel reaches new highs in ratings

A beautiful castle in Darlington has beaten its previous score in the esteemed Best Western Hotel ratings this year.

In a recent Best Western Hotels assessment, Walworth Castle improved on its previous years’ score.

The Grade I listed building has undergone a refurbishment project in order to bring the beautiful building back to its former glory.

Rachel Swain, who has been the director of the hotel for the past 15 years feels that the ratings have improved due to the recent improvements made to the décor.

She said: “I think the rating comes down to the investment we have put into the castle. We are constantly redecorating and improving our hotel and I believe this has contributed in a higher rating than in previous years.

“We are so proud to have such a great team behind us and we are so passionate about Walworth Castle. We have put our heart and soul into making the hotel a success.”

North East interior designer and owner of Richmond-based Vanilla Bay, Karen Nichols worked closely with Walworth Castle to create a modern twist on the building whilst recreating a traditional atmosphere to complement the 12th century castle.

Some of the work Karen did for Walworth Castle included 29 pairs of new curtains in the west wing and the main castle, day curtains in the west wing public areas and wallcovering in various rooms. The interior designer also re-covered headboards and provided new soft furnishing for the west wing bedrooms.

Karen Nichols said: “We always work closely with the owners to provide the effect they are looking for and we have a proven record of delivering the required finish on time and on budget. We also have a future project planned with Walworth Castle.”

The castle has also been awarded a five star Food Hygiene Rating from the Food Standards Agency.

Rachel spoke of her excitement on the accolade: “We are absolutely thrilled. It just goes to show how much hard work the kitchen and management team have put in to achieve this rating.”

The next project of the hotel is the grand opening of the Dungeon, where it has recently been granted a licence to officiate civil ceremonies.

To find out more, please visit: http://www.bw-walworthcastle.co.uk/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey & Hugo .