THE NEW owners of a hotel in Leamington have unveiled ambitious plans for its future.
The Jephson Hotel in Warwick New Road is under new management, with a full refurbishment of 43 of its 65 bedrooms and bathrooms having recently been completed.
Work has also been carried out in the bar and communal areas, while the corridors and outside of the hotel also have a new look following investment.
It marks a new beginning for the former Falstaff Hotel which made national headlines recently when the previous owers were fined more than £350,000 after repeated fire safety breaches put the lives of guests and staff at risk.
It is now under the new management of Then Hospitality – an independent hotel management company.
Arvind Bhardwaj has been appointed General Manager at the hotel, bringing with him nearly 20 years of experience in the industry.
His first job was in Dubai before he relocated to Scotland to work at what is now called the Trump Turnberry, a hotel and golf complex owned by former US president Donald Trump.
From there, Arvind moved to nearby Stratford where he worked at several hotels including at Crowne Plaza, The Arden Hotel – opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre – and most recently Hotel Du Vin.
Arvind said he was excited to lead the team at The Jephson and aimed to make it the best hotel in Leamington Spa.
“We want to look after the guest and look after the product, making sure we are top of the table,” he said.
“We want to make sure that every customer who comes in is not just happy but that we exceed their expectations.
“The idea is to make this hotel the best in Leamington Spa. We are starting from building a team and then step by step we will achieve what we want.”
Arvind now plans to expand the team of 15, and although the pandemic has brought challenges to hotels across the country, he was optimistic for the future.
He added: “We want to focus on quality and we want to make sure that what we promise we deliver.”
