Currently, only the Longueville Manor has been able to break through the five-star barrier and reach the premier grade recognised throughout the UK.
In the past two years the Grand, on the Esplanade, has completed a £15.2 million refurbishment programme. The next phase will entail active marketing locally and overseas and a dedicated business development team has recently been established.
Lynne Capie, who is heading the new team, said the hotel was expecting to hear in October whether it had been rated as a five-star establishment. ‘It is a long process and we have been working with the AA. They have been helping us with workshops for our teams, so that we take the correct approach and know how to reach the targets.’
