Top Hotel manager Mark Booth takes over at Hallgarth Manor

Mark Booth has been appointed as General Manager of the newly-refurbished Hallgarth Manor Hotel near Durham.

Mark, originally from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, is a hospitality sector professional with 36 years' experience working in locations as diverse as Blackpool, Blackburn, Shrewsbury, London, Leeds, North Yorkshire and Northumberland.

“I started as a trainee chef in London with the Savoy Group, before moving into management," he says. "I worked with both large corporate companies for instance Marriott Hotels as well as independent owners.”

He was first appointed as a General Manager 25 years ago. “I have taken over at Hallgarth Manor Hotel at a really exciting time - our £2m refurbishment has created a stylish and elegant Bridal suite from a former meeting room. We have added a new Mirror Ball function room and a stylish new Orangery.

“Our guests have also been very impressed with our refurbishment - our last open day saw us book no fewer than 21 weddings!”

The work followed the purchase of the hotel by Shepherd Cox, who have a small number of high quality hotels across the North of England. Mark described the refurbishment as a 'quite stunning' piece of work which transforms the property's appeal.

He said: “The refurbishment has gone down very well with our guests and has put us at the forefront of what is on offer in the North East's wedding market.”

Mark's immediate target is to extend the refurbishment to other areas of the hotel – which is situated a few miles east of Durham.

“We are planning to create a new dining experience in the Tavern Restaurant whilst launching the new Orangery shortly.”

Summarising Hallgarth Manor Hotel's attraction over the other leading hotels in the area, Mark said: “Our unique selling point has to be 'Exclusivity!'

He explained: “Nearly all of our competitors are large operations. We believe we offer the personal touch required by our clients.”

Mark said the nearby St Laurence Church was an important asset. “The Church is a fantastic, historical building. Having a unique wedding venue right there on our doorstep makes life so much easier for couples to organise their big day and avoids the need for complex transport arrangements and costs.”

In addition to the busy weddings programme Hallgarth is also welcoming business travellers and visitors to the area.

“We believe Hallgarth Manor also ticks all the boxes as a meetings and conference venue with four different function spaces providing for everything from board briefings to one-to-one business discussions.
“This is an exciting time for the hotel and staff and I am determined to help Hallgarth realise its full potential.”

FOR INFORMATION AT WEDDINGS AT HALLGARTH VISIT https://hallgarthdurham.co.uk