A dilapidated Harrogate guest house has been brought back to life thanks to new owners – who just happen to live next door.
Kim Wilson and Simon Storer have run The Camberley on Kings Road for the last six years and boast over 90 per cent occupancy at their popular bed and breakfast.
Now, the pair – who between them have more than 30 years’ experience in Harrogate hospitality – have taken over the neighbouring Azalea Court and intend to work their magic to make it a credit to the town once again. The new business is now up and running as The Lodge Harrogate, after opening its doors this month.
Kim said: It has been a lot of work to get The Lodge Harrogate ready, but we’ve really enjoyed putting our stamp on the building and breathing new life into it.
We’ve been creative in decorating the rooms, so it will be a unique place for guests to stay when they visit Harrogate. All the work was done by local traders, and we’ll be creating at least three new permanent jobs, too.
Kim and Simon have invested a six-figure sum in the building and started by fixing the roof, replacing the windows and updating the building’s layout. They then moved on to the decor, giving each room individual style and personality.
Simon said: There are 16 bedrooms and we will open initially on a room-only basis.
A lot of visitors to Harrogate are looking for somewhere comfortable to sleep while they enjoy local restaurants and other attractions, so this will be ideal for them.
Once we’re full up and running, we’ll look at opening the kitchen in a few months’ time. In the long term, we also have plans to create a coffee shop in the lower ground floor, which will be open to guests and to the public.
Good luck I really hope this works for you. It has been sad seeing this building decaying through neglect x.