Over the next year the group, which owns and operates 11 hotels in the UK, plans to refurbish the 40-bedroom hotel with refurbishment work focused on bedrooms and the terrace bar and lounge and the creation of a new brasserie-style restaurant, conference room and fitness suite. The hotel's gardens will also be re-designed.
Bedrooms will be fitted out with 40 in Smart TVs, power showers and new air-conditioning while the hotel's new brasserie restaurant will include an open-plan kitchen.
Brend Hotels managing director John Brend said the £2m redevelopment was part of on-going investment into the Brend Hotels estate. Recent work includes a £1.5m extension at The Devon Hotel in Exeter, creating 20 new bedrooms; development of the Carlyon Bay Hotel's new Spa Bar and a refurbishment of Saunton Sands Hotel's restaurant, terrace lounge and Saunton Suite.
“As a family business, our philosophy has always been to keep improving our hotels to their full potential," he said. "With this latest project, we will be taking that approach to a whole new level, with one of the most ambitious development programmes we have ever undertaken. We are aiming to create a stylish contemporary hotel which will become a vibrant hub for the local community as well as the perfect choice for business people staying in the area.”
Brend said The Park Hotel, which opened in 1970 and serves as the headquarters for the group, would remain open to guests while work was carried out.
He also said ideas at the hotel would serve as a 'test-bed' for developments at the group's other hotels, which include The Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth; The Victoria Hotel and The Belmont Hotel in Sidmouth, The Imperial Hotel, The Barnstaple Hotel and The Royal & Fortescue Hotel in Barnstaple; The Devon Hotel in Exeter and The Royal Hotel in Bideford.