York historic hotel deal is a real blast

1:10pm Monday 5th November 2007

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WHOOSH! David Hattersley, boss of the York-based De Bretton Group has done it again.

This time the finalist in the Business Personality Of The Year category in The Press Business Awards, has plans to turn Guy Fawkes's reputed birthplace into York's finest inn.

His de Bretton Group has completed a multi-million pound freehold deal to buy Guy Fawkes Hotel, in High Petergate, from Kaye's Hotels.

Guy Fawkes Hotel is the latest historic acquisition for the fast-growing de Bretton group, which bought Four High Petergate Hotel in August and also owns the medieval Lendal Tower.

Mr Hattersley said Guy would feel right at home in the restyled property. The Guy Fawkes Inn will feature dark timber floors and York flagstones with sawdust, Jacobean oak-panelled walls, antique furniture, a grandfather clock and a roaring log fire. A new loft suite will be added to the 12 rooms.

Eight new chefs are being recruited to produce "gastro-pub" food, and the inn will also boast an impressive array of hand-pulled real ales and a first-class wine list.

"We have the best location in the city to deliver this, combined with a building that says come on in'," said David. "My inspiration was Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in London's Fleet Street - pure class. It's historic, but approachable and comfortable."

The Guy Fawkes Inn is widely viewed as a Georgian town house, but "it's much older than that. It's Queen Anne with Georgian DIY!" David explained.

A cottage to the rear is reputedly the birthplace of Guy Fawkes, the man who came close to blowing up Parliament on November 5, 1605.

And Guy thinks the deal is a blast - he came along to celebrate, in the form of Stuart Perry, senior actor at popular city attraction the York Dungeon. It hosts a daily guided tour of the city finishing with the Fawkes story at the inn.

De Bretton also owns the four-star Marmadukes Hotel, off Bootham, York, and the acclaimed Harvilles Restaurant in Fossgate.

Its investment in York now tops £20 million in the last 18 months - equivalent to a staggering £36,000 per day.

The de Bretton Group has opened a central reservations centre in York to handle bookings more efficiently, freeing up staff at the hotels to concentrate on looking after guests.