Next month the De Vere Tortworth Court will complete a £5 million refurbishment.
One of Gloucestershire’s hidden countryside retreats, the Grade II listed Victorian mansion is part of the De Vere portfolio of country estate hotels and, following the refurbishment, will boast some of the largest suites in the county.
With a history dating back to 1343, today’s Victorian mansion was designed by esteemed gothic revival architect Samuel Sanders Teulon for the 2nd Earl of Ducie in 1853. The family continued to develop the estate with the introduction of hundreds of trees, including many rare specimens, to create an arboretum that is regarded as one of the finest in the British Isles.
The focus of the renovation is occurring in the mansion house with the transformation of meeting rooms into 11 new spacious suites, to bring the total number of guest rooms and suites in the main house to 55. The sensitive refurbishment is preserving many of the original features, whilst adding new touches of modern countryside charm to the grand gothic mansion, including the hotel’s grand staircase and galleries above the newly refurbished reception and public areas. The largest suite, The Kipling, will offer a stand-alone in-room dining table for six guests and lounge within 78 square metres that can also be connected to The Paxton, to form a family suite that spans 129 square metres, overlooking the formal gardens.
All 201 guestrooms, in the mansion house and courtyard wing, feature up to 1GB of free wi-fi and flat screen TVs, whilst suites and deluxe rooms come complete with king size beds, fluffy robes and slippers as well as luxury bathroom toiletries.
The 1853 Restaurant will welcome guests and residents once again from August 2017. The original gothic wooden panelling and ornate painted ceiling will be enhanced by fresh dove grey walls and emerald coloured soft furnishings. Originally a church within the mansion house, the refreshed restaurant will serve locally sourced, seasonal British dishes. In the former library a new specialist Whisky bar will serve many types of Whisky.
Mark Payne, general manager at De Vere Tortworth Court commented: “The mansion house and the grounds provided us with a stunning base in which to enhance an existing beautiful product. The new-look hotel is one that I am very proud to welcome guests into and the introduction of large suites allows guests to indulge and live some of the grandeur that the original Earls would have enjoyed.”
“It was important to us to blend modern comfort with the hotel’s history and I believe we have done this successfully both internally and externally across the estate.”
The property offers organisers 10 flexible meeting and events spaces, from eight new meeting rooms with conference cafes and executive boardrooms to a separate Westminster Suite and the standalone Victorian Orangery. Even the gardens feature outdoor wi-fi ensuring both business and leisure guests can always stay connected. The mansion house will also feature the newly refurbished Brunels’ Bar, perfect for events, conferences and weddings.
Guestrooms start from £149 per room per night, with Suites starting from £249 per room per night, based on double occupancy, www.DeVere.com/DeVereTortworthCourt
