The doors have opened on Cornwall’s newest hotel after a £13million transformation project.
The Pig at Harlyn Bay, near Padstow was originally due to open in April but workers transforming the 15th century manor house into the boutique hotel had to down tools when the Covid-19 lockdown struck.
The latest offering by the boutique hotel chain has been so sought after that reservation staff took 1,000 bookings in the first three hours of declaring its opening date and it is already fully booked for the coming months. NHS workers have been the first guests to stay at the 30-bed hotel with paying guests checking in from July 31.
Robin Hutson, the man behind the Pig Hotel brand and co-owner of the parent company, Home Grown Hotels, said: I have had easier periods of my life, put it that way. We didn’t know what was going to happen from one week to the next and we were making decisions for the business overnight. But we are here now, and that is very satisfying.”
The Pig employs around 700 staff throughout its seven hotels including the Pig at Combe in Gittisham, Devon. The business took out a £4.1million business support loan just to keep the doors shut during lockdown but thanks to the furlough scheme has been able to avoid any redundancies and is recruiting again.
He said: “Demand has been very strong and I think that one thing in our favour for UK hospitality is a reluctance to travel overseas at the moment.”
Mr Hutson spoke directly to Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a lockdown conference call to highlight the concerns of the hospitality industry.
And he cites the new one-metre distancing rule, furlough retention incentive scheme and support through business loans and apprenticeships as among the saving graces for the industry.
“Almost everything we asked for we have got and interestingly, one thing the pandemic has done is highlight the importance of the hospitality industry which has, in the past, been overlooked by government.”
The PIG - which last year published a spin-off book THE PIG: Tales and Recipes from the Kitchen Garden and Beyond dedicated to the brand’s style and philosophy, has become an industry leader and praised for cornering the mid-market trend for laid back retreats. The average stay for guests is 3-4 days and it is known for its year-round offer.
The Pig at Harlyn is the furthest west for the group, opened after Mr Hutson said he’d never venture further than its then out runner The Pig at Combe in Devon.
But spurred on by its success - the hotel is rarely less than 90% full - and the strong foodie reputation of nearby Padstow, the Pig at Harlyn Bay is set to soak up demand even in autumn and winter.
Plus, Robin and his wife Judy, who is the designer of the Pig signature style, have had a home near Padstow for 16 years. He said: “We really know the area and we have our friends here so we have seen what it’s like all through the year.”
About 80 year-round jobs have been created at the Pig at Harlyn, which has been inspired by the manor houses that Ross Poldark would have been familiar with.
The unshiny-chic eclectic decor is stuffed with antique portraits, cosy armchairs in front of open fires and atmospheric lighting.
“It’s a moody old house which is noble without being pompous. We get approached weekly about properties we might like but some are too grand or uninviting. This place just feels right.”
Aside from the bedrooms in the main house, guests can stay in a new stone built stableyard or a scattering of bespoke shepherd huts in the grounds.
There is a walled kitchen garden with spa treatment rooms in the potting sheds and a lobster-shack serving lunch with sea views.
The capacity in the dining room has been reduced from 85 to 70 covers and the team are in the midst of creating a canopy over the outdoor seating area to create more space. And work is just beginning on an eighth Pig hotel in Sussex.
“Work has been delayed there because of Covid but we are pressing ahead with that one," Mr Hutson said.
Mr Hutson has been working in the hotel industry for 40 years, starting as a waiter in Claridges before going on to create the Hotel de Vin brand and the Limewood Hotel Group with chemicals billionaire Jim Ratcliffe.
He is known for being "in the trenches" with the team and trains staff in the same way, with every employee having experience of all aspects of the hotel.
He said: “Staff retention is key, we don’t have a strong culture of hospitality in the UK while in Europe it’s seen as a profession. The staff are everything - they bring the place alive.”
He said that investors are frequently showing interest in buying the business with approaches from the Middle East and Far East.
He said: “I’ve made no secret that we will sell it in the end, it’s my pension after all but unfortunately what happens sometimes with an independent brand is that its bought by someone who doesn’t appreciate the nuances. This is not a roll-out operation and I think that people can see when they come here that it’s got integrity, it’s from the heart. I think this place is going to be quite a lot of fun.”
