July 14 2005
An historic Newcastle mansion being converted into a luxury hotel will provide state-of-the-art facilities for business when it opens this autumn. Jesmond Dene House, a grade II listed building dating back to 1822, is being transformed as part of a £7 million restoration project and will open as a boutique hotel and restaurant in September.
Spearheaded by award winning developer Peter Candler and renowned chef Terry Laybourne, who runs the Café 21 restaurants, the development will combine 19th century tradition with the latest facilities and technology. The hotel is equipped with both Cat 5 and Wi-Fi capability giving bedroom guests and business users a choice of connectivity to the internet via a secure 2mb per second line wherever they are in the property. Visitors will also have access to a host of technologies in the hotel meeting rooms, including a 50-inch plasma presentation screen, laptop computer interfacing, electronic roller screen projection, video and DVD players and video-conferencing facilities. The hotel’s telephone system is cutting edge. Installed by Executel – the North East’s leading telecommunications specialist - it offers a fully integrated service connected to the front of house system.
Explains Peter Candler: “The beauty of Jesmond Dene House is that we can provide modern facilities and the latest technology in an historic setting - the 19th century meeting the 21st. We’ve taken great care to conserve the original qualities of the building, at the same time as meeting the needs of today’s customers and businesses. The parkland setting is a perfect location for a break or as a place to do business.”
Set in two acres of garden in the heart of Jesmond Dene, the new hotel will offer 40 en-suite bedrooms, including several suites, and a large dining area which will specialise in serving fresh, seasonal regional produce. Originally designed by John Dobson it has a remarkable history and includes some fine rooms by Norman Shaw, one of the most eminent architects of the period.