Harrogate estate agent wins gold awardLocal estate agent Feather Smailes Scales (FSS) has won the British Property Award in Harrogate for its sales department.
The team was congratulated for its outstanding performance throughout the judging period, which looked at customer service levels.
Partner Richard Smailes said:
“I am delighted that we have been recognised by an independent adjudicator as “best in class” and winning the gold award.
“It is testament to my wonderful team who show dedication, hard work and a caring nature at all times and a true depth of knowledge with regard to the housing transaction process. I couldn’t be more proud.”
The awards were created by a team of former estate agency owners who hope to change the way estate agents are perceived by the public.
They consider a set of 25 criteria that consumers often overlook, and aim to highlight excellence in different towns across the country.
Robert McLean, from The British Property Awards, said:
“Winning agents should be proud that their customer service levels provide a benchmark for their local, regional and national competition”.
FSS has now been nominated for a number of other national awards.
Three Harrogate spas nominated for good spa awards
Rudding Park, Three Graces Spa at Grantley Hall and The Swinton Country Club have all received nominations for the good spa awards 2022.
Rudding Park is nominated for the best destination spa, whilst Swinton Country Club and Grantley Hall are nominated for two awards each. Swinton is hoping to win awards for sustainability and wellness, and Grantley Hall is in the running for wellness and best destination.
Swinton Estate said it was “delighted” to be nominated for both awards, adding:
“Wellness and wellbeing, both physical and mental, sit at the heart of our commitment to all guests.”
The hotel was also the first in the UK to install a biomass boiler, a sustainable alternative for heating water at the spa.
Last year, Three Graces Spa at Grantley Hall won the best spa for fitness and wellbeing, and Rudding Park won in 2020 for the best outdoor facilities.
Voting is open until 5th June, and the winners will be announced on 20th June at the spa life convention in Gloucestershire.
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Harrogate district set to become health destination in echo of Victorian pastLong before ‘wellness’ became a buzzword, the Victorians were effectively already practising it.
And Harrogate led the way — even back then.
The wealthy and fashionable flocked to the spa town to experience its green open spaces and recuperative and healing powers of spring waters, which were first discovered by William Slingsby in the late 16th century.
Health and wellbeing hotspot
Now, more than a century after the Victorian era, Harrogate Borough Council’s new tourism body, Destination Harrogate, is set to promote the district as a health and wellbeing hotspot once again.
It will draw on the district’s rich spa heritage and accessibility to the great outdoors to attract visitors, events and investment to create a strong local economy.
The approach forms one of three key objectives in a three-year plan, which sets out a vision, priorities and actions that will be put in place to make the district “a first choice destination”.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret, Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, explained what this would involve.
She said:
“People have been coming to Harrogate since 1571 to take the waters and have a leisure experience, so that’s not new, but it has developed over the years.
“Now you can still go to the Royal Pump Room Museum and understand the spa heritage and our roots and how we became this great leisure destination, but you can also go to the Turkish Baths, you can go and have an incredible spa experience at Rudding Park or Grantley Hall.
“So the whole district is very good at that traditional health and wellbeing piece.”
Rudding Park Spa.
Wellbeing different for everyone
Ms Rio, who was appointed in October 2020, said one lesson that had been learnt as a result of the pandemic was that health and wellbeing is different to everyone.
She said:
“For some people it is a massage and a jacuzzi, but to others it’s a walk in the Nidderdale AONB, or it’s seeing a show at the theatre, or it’s just being with family around the table at one of our great independent restaurants. So that’s what we are going to try and pull out in our campaign.”
The multi-channel campaign, which will have a digital marketing focus, is being launched in April and will run for most of the year.
Ms Rio said:
“If someone is a really avid walker, we want to tell them that story and plan itineraries for them around walking and country pubs.
“Our supporting campaigns will also try and pick up the same messages.
“Every year Visit Harrogate ran a successful gardening campaign. Our partners loved that campaign, they have seen some great results from it.
“Obviously as a destination, gardening is a real strength of ours as well. We’ve got RHS Harlow Carr, Newby Hall and various places that have great gardens.
“So even our gardens campaign is going to try and link in with the health and wellbeing priority as well.”
RHS Garden Harlow Carr.
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Attracting business events
The focus on health and wellbeing will also be used to attract more leisure and business events, with one of the target sectors for conferences being the medical industry, Ms Rio explained.
She said:
“Where else to hold your medical conference than a destination that has this incredible spa heritage and medical story to tell?
“Where better to base you new health and wellbeing business, or really any business?
“If you want to invest in a place, knowing that you’re going to be somewhere where your employees health and wellbeing will be looked after. A place where their work/life balance will be stronger. It’s much easier to employ people to come and join you if you base yourself somewhere like the Harrogate district.
“It’s a really exciting campaign.”
Collaboration is key
Ms Rio said when the three-year blueprint, known as the Destination Management Plan (DMP), was written, a consultation with residents and businesses was carried out in order to come up with the three main priorities set out in the document.
She said:
“This theme came up over and over again and I think in many ways it’s a bit of a no-brainer. We’ve got the history, we’ve got a great story to tell.
“Health and wellbeing has rocketed as a trend over the past couple of years. Plus we already have strong products, like the Turkish Baths. So it’s not trying to promote something that we are not actually that good at.
“It’s not rocket science what we have come up with. But I think what we have not done as a destination is work together to really push that in the same way that a place like Bath does.
“The story has always been there but we haven’t really taken advantage of it in a way that we can now.
“Everyone is really keen to work with us to see this become a success, and I think as a destination that’s the only way it can work. That collaboration is absolutely key.”
‘Core part’ of district’s identity
Ms Rio said the health and wellbeing campaign will continue to evolve and grow as a “core part” of the district’s identity.
She said:
“Other campaigns will run alongside it to highlight other strands such as retail or arts and culture, but there will always be this golden thread running through it.
“A trip to Harrogate district is good for you, regardless of whether you are into massage, theatre or walking.”
Nidderdale AONB.
One of the main messages that will be promoted by the campaign will be length of stay, which will aim to encourage visitors to come for long weekends or weeks away in the district.
Ms Rio added:
“The way we do that is we try and prepare itineraries. So we are adding some functionality to the Visit Harrogate website this year that makes it easy for someone to say ‘I’m going to go to this experience in the morning, have lunch at this pub, stay at this hotel’. That helps to encourage people to stay longer, which benefits the local economy.”
Ripon councillors unite to fight sale of city’s Spa Baths
Councillors of all political parties in Ripon last night voted to fight Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to sell the city’s Spa Baths
News that the city’s grade II Listed Spa Baths, are already on the market, brought an angry reaction from elected members.
At a full council meeting, Councillor Stuart Martin, the conservative Mayor of the Harrogate district, and Councillor Mike Chambers, cabinet member for homes and safer communities, confirmed that the building is up for sale.
Both men, along with fellow Conservatives and the controlling independent group on Ripon City Council, voted unanimously to support an urgent motion proposed by Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams.
Delayed opening – Ripon’s new swimming pool and refurbished leisure centre is costing in excess of £10.2 million
The motion aims to protect the Spa – in Harrogate Borough Council’s ownership since 1974 – from being sold to a private developer for residential or other redevelopment.
Councillor Williams told the meeting:
“I am utterly shocked and surprised to discover only this evening that this community asset, which is part of Ripon’s heritage, has been put on the market, with absolutely no prior consultation with ourselves.”
Councillor Pauline McHardy added:
“The spa was built for the people of Ripon and visitors and belongs to this city.
“I had previously suggested that it be used by the NHS as an expansion of the adjacent hospital and services that it offers, so people do not need to travel to Harrogate for treatment.
“We must fight to stop it being sold to a private developer.”
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The History of Ripon Spa Baths:
The original complex, located next to the Spa Gardens, has the distinction of being the last spa to open in England.
In October 1905, it also became the only spa granted a royal opening, when Princess Henry of Battenberg carried out the ceremony.
A reconfiguration of the building in 1936, saw the complex converted into the city’s first public swimming pool.
Ornate stained glass windows and other architectural features remain to this day.
At the full council meeting, Councillor Stephen Craggs pointed out:
“The building has fallen into disrepair and is in need of some serious maintenance.
“To lose it to yet another residential development would be a disaster – it must be kept as a community facility.”
Cllr Williams agreed, saying:
“At a time when our city is growing there is even greater need for us to have buildings that can be used by the public.”
Possible future uses could be a museum or a library. The Spa Baths has remained closed since the first Covid lockdown last March, while a new swimming pool is under construction at Camp Hill.
Rudding Park named hotel spa of the year in global awardsRudding Park has been named hotel spa of the year in a global competition.
The Harrogate-based venue beat competition from top spas in London and Paris to win the award.
The annual World Spa and Wellness Awards, which are organised by the Professional Beauty Group, were held virtually this year due to covid.
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It has been a difficult year for spas and the hospitality industry in general so this will bolster the team at Rudding Park.
Peter Banks, the managing director at Rudding Park, said:
“Winning such a prestigious global award voted by high profile industry judges is a fantastic endorsement.
“We are confident there will be a real appetite for people to experience a change of scene, relax and unwind.”
As the end of the second lockdown approaches, Rudding Park said it was confident of plenty of bookings during the Christmas period as people look for a chance to relax and unwind.
Rudding Park spa set to reopen this weekendRudding Park has confirmed it will reopen its spa this weekend.
The hotel welcomed back visitors for overnight stays on July 13 but the spa has remained closed.
However, from Saturday guests will finally be able to enjoy a pamper day.
The spa will be operating at reduced capacity. The steam rooms and saunas will remain closed until further notice and face treatments, including waxing and makeup will also not be allowed.
However, the hydrotherapy pool, spa bath, sunlight therapy, foot spa and indoor swimming pool will be open for use.
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Peter Jones, managing director of Rudding Park, told The Stray Ferret:
“We are delighted Rudding Park spa will re-open on Saturday 25 July. We have put measures in place so guests can spa with confidence and are very much looking forward to welcoming guests back to relax and unwind on the rooftop spa.”
The spa will have reduced capacity, with 20 people allowed in the pool at once.
Guest are encouraged to arrive as prepared as possible for their spa experience to reduce time in the changing rooms. Visitors are also requested to shower at home after their visit.
Enhanced cleaning will be in place and face coverings will be available for guests on arrival. Magazines and newspapers will be removed to limit touch points.
Details will be taken from guests when booking as part of the test and trace initiative and all guests will need to book online before visiting.