Skelwith Group signs up West Paces to Raithwaite development (From York Press)

Skelwith Group signs up West Paces to Raithwaite development

9:56am Wednesday 21st July 2010 in

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INTERNATIONAL hotel chain West Paces will operate the five star £30 million Raithwaite Hall Country Retreat when it opens near Whitby next summer.

The announcement was made today by the York-based developer, the Skelwith Group, which has former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan as a non-executive director.

Although West Paces has 17 hotels and resorts around the world including Lough Eske Castle in Donegal which was voted the world’s top luxury country hotel at the World Luxury Hotel Awards earlier this year, this will be the first West Paces managed hotel in the UK.

The company was formed in 2003 by former Ritz-Carlton president and chief operating officer Horst Schultz and has a rich history of operating some of the best hotels in the world. Work started in February to convert Raithwaite Hall into a five star hotel started, led by principle contractor Wates Construction.

The site currently features 13 luxury holiday cottages and the plans for the site include a 45 bed five star hotel and spa complex and further cottages being built in the 80 acre grounds. During construction there will be up to 80 men on site at any one time and when operational the hotel will employ more than 130 staff from the local area. Paul Ellis, managing director of the Skelwith Group, describing the appointment as “fantastic news”, said: “Bringing West Paces to the UK for the first time is a real coup for the site, the Skelwith Group and the whole area and demonstrates the strong and growing tourist economy in Yorkshire. “By working alongside West Paces we will deliver one of the best hotels in the UK.”

Andy Wildman, vice president for West Paces, said: “It is an honour for us to work with the Skelwith Group. Their strong experience and intrinsic knowledge of the Yorkshire market make us an ideal team to create a wonderful hotel here.”

The hotel will feature a state-of-the-art spa and will be a sister hotel to the Skelwith Group’s £100 million Flaxby Country Club, located between York and Harrogate. A fine dining restaurant and luxury bar will also be included, as well as a conference and function area to seat up to 140 people.