A new co-working space, meeting area and café have opened in Harrogate’s Windsor House.

The facilities were created during the second phase of a refurbishment of the imposing building, which overlooks Valley Gardens.

Owned by property firm Boultbee Brooks, Windsor House is home to more than 115 businesses, and includes 75,000 sq ft of flexible workspace.

Harrogate borough mayor, Cllr Victoria Oldham, officially opened the new facilities at an event attended by more than 100 dignitaries.

Mayor Victoria Oldham cuts the ribbon.

The refurbishment, which included repairing the leaky roof and installing new furniture, has been overseen by interior design firm and Windsor House tenant RU Creative, which sourced and installed the main focal point — an olive tree.

The new space seats 110 people, who can visit the renovated café, which has been renamed The Pantry at Windsor House. The pantry is run by husband-and-wife Antonio and Jo Nobile.

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The building, formerly the Grand Hotel, is a short walk from the town centre.

Karen Winspear, Boultbee Brooks’ building manager for Windsor House, said:

“After four months of intense work and much anticipation, we are delighted to have opened this beautiful new space for our tenants.

“The grand foyer, which has been returned to its former glory, is a luxurious space for workers to meet clients, to work together, or just relax over a coffee or lunch.

“There is more to come at Windsor House, with plans to open a new yoga studio in the new year.”

This article is sponsored by Wizu Workspace.

Wizu Workspace, the North’s most exciting flexible workspace provider, has opened its doors at the iconic Royal House, one of Harrogate’s most prestigious addresses.

The spacious period building is the ideal place for any local business looking to grow. The stunning workspace offers private offices, co-working membership, meeting rooms and event space – all available on a flexible basis.

Wizu have created a comfortable, friendly environment that combines modern and traditional elements – perfect for growing small and large businesses alike.

Meet the Wizu team

When you walk through the doors at Royal House, the first people you’ll meet are Kitty Lewis and Grace Franklin, full-time hosts at the Harrogate site.

A beautiful communal space.

They’ll make you feel instantly at home: Kitty’s approach is to focus on customer service and creating a warm welcome. She said:

“I’ve always worked in hospitality, and that’s how I see Wizu. We look after our members and give them the best workday we can – every day.

“Most of our staff come from a hospitality background, which shows in our customer loyalty and retention.”

Among those is Jamie Lea, who brings ten years’ experience in five-star hotels (including The Dorchester in London) to his role as community manager. He said:

“I wanted something where I could use my hospitality experience. So I’ve swapped bedroom guests for office members! I’m still running events and the reception desk, but we deliver service differently to a hotel – it’s much more informal and relaxed.”

A culture of service 

Tom Almas, managing director and co-founder, believes that workspace – when done well – can inspire people to enhance their productivity and creativity:

“Many business owners are stuck in soul-destroying, uninspiring workspace, which leads to dull, repetitive workdays for them and their teams.

“At Wizu, we do things differently. We don’t tie people into long leases. We create bright, beautifully-designed workspaces, so our members can stay productive, creative and energised – and go further as individuals and businesses as a result.”

A relaxed and friendly atmosphere

The team work hard to make their members feel at home.

One of the meeting rooms you could take advantage of.

Music quietly plays in the kitchen and co-working space, which Kitty says has “a relaxed coffee shop vibe.” For those who want a quiet space to concentrate, there are private working pods to escape to and get work done.

This approach – to give its members more than an office – is core to Wizu’s design philosophy.

They’ve also created a community where members collaborate and often work together. Kitty said:

“What’s interesting is that our members have set the tone themselves. It’s great to see them chatting and helping each other out.”

Demand for space has been huge

Wizu offer several membership packages, such as ’50 hours for £60′ in the co-working space. Private offices are priced at £300 + VAT per desk/month.  Virtual office packages start from £40 plus VAT/month.

Part of the co-working space.

The fees are all-inclusive: there is no need to arrange broadband or cover heating bills. Even the furniture is included.

This flexible, inclusive package is clearly needed in Harrogate: since it opened its doors in the spring, demand has exceeded all expectations.

Over 65% of all offices have been sold, with interest in the co-working space and meeting rooms far higher than anyone predicted.

John Guggenheim, co-founder, said:

“The rising trend of businesses looking to work flexibly, coupled with our knowledge of the North, made Harrogate a perfect fit for us.

“We’re delighted with how we’ve been welcomed, and we look forward to playing our part in growing Harrogate’s dynamic economy.”

This beautiful building, with its quality interiors, professional team and flexible terms, is a fantastic addition to the Harrogate business scene.

To find out more about Wizu Workspace or to book a free two-day trial in the co-working space, call Royal House on 01423 574110.

Royal House in Harrogate is to be refurbished and turned into a co-working space.

The property on Station Parade was built in 1847 and known as the Royal Hotel in the Victorian era.

It has been used as offices since the 1960s.

The building has been leased by Wizu Workspace, a Leeds-based company that operates six co-working spaces in Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford. It said it plans to spend “a six-figure sum” refurbishing the building.

Wizu has a membership model where customers pay a monthly fee to use their offices on demand.

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Tom Almas, chief executive of Wizu, said it had expanded into Harrogate as the company believes there is an undersupply of modern office space in the town.

He said:

“We’re excited to bring something truly unique to Harrogate, creating a blend of sleek modern interiors mixed with historic period features to provide an impressive place to work.

“We chose Harrogate due to the undersupply of modern, flexible office space in the town and saw an opportunity to bring our popular, all-inclusive model to businesses.”

“The building itself is incredible. It’s in a prominent central location with stunning views of The Stray and just a few minutes from the train station and major road links – making it an attractive, accessible space to run a successful business from.”