Breathing new life into an historic city centre hotel

In the latest edition of Marketing Derby’s Innovate Magazine, we meet the team who are breathing new life into the city’s historic Cathedral Quarter Hotel.

Originally built in the 19th century, the hotel has a rich history, including hosting the late Queen Elizabeth II for a private meal in 2010.

New owner Lavendish Leisure is now giving this Grade II-listed gem a well-deserved polish.

All 38 en-suite bedrooms have been updated with new beds, 43-inch smart TVs, ultra-fast fibre-optic WiFi, and stylishly refitted bathrooms.

Key public areas, including the lobby and corporate meeting rooms, have also been redecorated to enhance the building’s historic character.

The restaurant in the Cathedral Quarter Hotel has been revitalised with a new Sunday carvery menu and regular afternoon tea events now take place.

And a dedicated Starbucks coffee lounge now serves a selection of the brand’s most popular drinks

The Cathedral Quarter Hotel is a project Lavendish Leisure is hugely excited by, as Innovate finds out.

We meet hotelier Isuru Somaweera and his team not long after they have finished hosting Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves after her high-profile visit to Derby to discuss the state of the UK economy.

The Cabinet Minister’s stay capped a year in which Isuru relocated 5,000 miles from his native Sri Lanka with ambitions to make the boutique St Mary’s Gate venue a key part of the region’s visitor offer.

He told Innovate: “It’s a wonderful hotel and I’m determined and delighted to breathe new life into it.”

Lavendish, a subsidiary of the giant Dedigama Group, whose interests include gems, jewellery and real estate, entered into the hospitality sector in 2005 and has grown substantially since.

It now operates 10 luxury resorts across Sri Lanka and has made the UK its first international foray, buying The Royal Hotel in Sheerness, Kent, and purchasing the Cathedral Quarter Hotel last year.

Isuru told Innovate that the owners fell in love with the character of the Derby building, as well as being attracted by the city’s central location and the opportunities they see within the local market.

He said: “There’s so much personality to the hotel. The Queen dined here in 2010 – an occasion that is part of the building’s grand story.

“The city also has such rich history. It played a key role in the Industrial Revolution and today it continues to expand and to succeed.”

Isuru is determined to make the Cathedral Quarter Hotel succeed – and is setting his sights high.

He told Innovate: “Everyone knows that the late Queen Elizabeth II dined at the hotel, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if, one day, the King decided to visit us?”

To read the feature in full visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/0fb028e91f.html .