Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa (From York Press)

Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa

11:08am Wednesday 13th July 2011 in Profiles

IT IS set to be York’s first five-star hotel and it is seeking the title of Tourism and Hospitality Business Of The Year in The Press Business Awards 2011.

Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa, the flagship property of Cedar Court Hotels, Yorkshire’s largest independent hotel collection, was opened in May last year and now employs 130 people.

It followed a £25 million investment which saw York’s iconic former railway headquarters transformed into a luxury hotel with 107 bedrooms, an in-house spa, a terrace events area, The Grill Room restaurant, a cocktail bar, whisky lounge, lounge and seven beautifully appointed meeting rooms.

Dan Jeffrey, its marketing and PR manager, said: “Our ambition is to create a playground, an escape and a fantasy world. In keeping with the building’s origins as a centrepiece of the railway industry, we have sought to revive the golden age of travel and all its associated glamour, panache and luxury.”

Excellent TripAdvisor ratings and a recent accolade of Hotel of the Year at the York Tourism Awards suggest that it is striking the right note with guests.

To achieve the high level of customer care, takes meticulous training.

For instance staff are encouraged to take time out to work alongside industry experts such as The Whisky Lounge for whisky training and Moulton Brown for a workshop on”how to run the perfect bath.” The hotel’s sommelier not only trains serving staff in wines, but also every staff member. Ditto with its cheese expert.

The hotel has also begun a new relationship with York College, which will involve a large-scale AA training and development programme.