A £1 million revamp is planned for a Lakes hotel – creating 12 jobs.
Stonecross Manor, in Kendal, is currently closed for the first phase of the refurbishment.
Phase two, which includes a new extension for two new suites and 11 rooms, plus a remodelling of the spa and pool, will start in January.
The 167-year-old hotel, which currently has 32 bedrooms, is part of the Everbright Hotel Group, which also runs the George Hotel in Penrith.
Work is due to be completed by the spring.
Darryl Shaw, the firm’s operations director, said: “We will be increasing the room stock by more than a third and the hotel does have a very good occupancy rate and gets very good ratings on review sites so it does make sense for us to increase the number of bedrooms.
“At the same time we’re going to increase the size of the hotel’s leisure facility and swimming pool and introduce some interesting new features.
“We are looking to create a very nice boutique-style hotel, the kind of place guests can arrive at and enjoy luxurious spa facilities, comfortable accommodation and quality dining.
“The hotel has traded very well since we acquired it and this is a high value development which reflects the confidence we have in Stonecross Manor and its business.
“It came out of Covid very strongly. All our staff had stayed with us and started back immediately and it’s gone from strength to strength since then.”
The building dates from 1857 and was built as an orphanage by Mary Howard, of Levens Hall, to prevent young girls going to the workhouse and to educate them and many went into service with local gentry.
It has been a hotel since 1984 and was acquired and renovated by the Everbright Group in 2017 when Helen Clark took over as manager. She is now overseeing a second modernisation.
She said: “The initial work has seen a complete remodelling of the ground floor bar, restaurant and function room before work starts in the new year on the extension and the upgraded spa area.
“It’s very exciting and once the work has been completed it will be lovely.
“The extension of the leisure facilities will incorporate larger changing rooms and a space for another experience room while our current staff numbers will go up from 22 by at least 12 and possibly more as we open up.”
The Everbright Group Hotels also owns five hotels in North Wales.
