Recent Crown News
Customer Vote Crown Spa Hotel Top Clean Award
3rd December 2009,Crown Spa wins clean hotel award voted by Venere agency clients. Today the Crown Spa Hotel was award the "rated top clean" award from a collection of customer votes.
Crown Spa Third Year Running!
25th November 2009,Crown wins Yorkshire Moors and Coast Tourism Awards for Sustainable Tourism and best Hotel over 35 bedrooms for the 3rd year running.
National Mr. Chambers Operations Manage at the 4 star Crown Spa Hotel Scarborough said " We were hoping - as you do at such a prestigious event to be commened or possible win an award but this time we were truly suprised with the results of all the teams hard work and perseverence."
Crown Spa wins Orange National Business Award!
4th November 2009,Crown wins National Business Award for Health, Work and Well-being for Small Business Award sponsored by Orange 2009
London, 12th November 2009: Over 1200 business leaders and guests including keynote speaker Alistair Darling, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, attended the Orange-sponsored National Business Awards, to celebrate the success of the UK’s most innovative, ethical and resilient businesses in 2009. 
“I am so pleased to be invited to this year’s National Business Awards. It is the pinnacle of business awards ceremonies and this is where Britain’s best, from across the public and private sectors, get the recognition and reward they deserve”, said Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaking at The Awards tonight.
17 organisations and individuals were rewarded for their contributions to business success in Britain including Scarborough’s Crown Spa Hotel – who won the prestigious Health, Work and Well-being for Small Business category.
“Scarborough’s ‘Preferred Destination Spa Hotel’, the Crown Spa Hotel, was also the preferred choice of the Health, Work and Well-being for Small Business Award among the judges,” commented Robert Janes, Chair of Judges. “Clearly demonstrating how improving the health and wellbeing of their staff has resulted in many positive outcomes for the business, the Crown Spa is a beacon operator that the hospitality sector should take notice of. Staff turnover and absences through illness are significantly down while the take up of healthy benefits and treatments are well up in staff of all ages. Importantly, up too are room occupancy, advance bookings and profitability. The judges deemed this to be a healthy and well business – in every sense.”
Richard Frank Managing Director said "The team at the Crown Spa Hotel are pleased with their recent achievements grown from dedicated hard work over the last 4 years culminating in the prestigious Orange National Business Awards finals results. The assessment process was thorough, fair and in-depth all team members are very proud that we subsequently passed through the awards process to be announced as national winners for Health Wealth and Well-being. Overall we are all very proud for our organization, Yorkshire and for the town of Scarborough in achieving this coveted recognition.”
The Crown Spa Hotel – was up against tough competition from fellow nominees that included:
- Azur Advanced Health, St. Leonards on Sea
- Fit for Work, London
- Freshteam Services, Stevenage
- Healthy Valleys, Lanark
- HL Display (UK), Kirmington
- Alara Wholefoods, London
- system concepts, London
- Talascend, Sheffield
- Xmo Strata, Marden
Crown wins Sustainable Development Award!
Monday, 20 October 2009, .jpg)
Crown wins Sustainable Development Award, the team at the Crown Spa Hotel had a successful win at the Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Awards. More Here....
Thursday, 23 September 2009, the team at the Crown Spa Hotel had a successful win at the International Business Forum (IBF) award for Sustainable Development last night.
The IBF Business Awards, which recognise excellence and achievement in the different spheres of business throughout the region, was held as part of the IBF Conference at the Spa Complex, Scarborough.
David Frank Who received the award on behalf of the team at the Crown , said “Excellent news and confirmation of our last 4 years of had work culminating in this years renovation works of our Grade 2 listed property taking into account the sustainable aims. Since 2005 we have reduced our direct fossil fuel derived Carbon Footprint by 25%.”
Crown nominated for White Rose Awards!
19th August 2009, the Crown was nominated for the prestigious White rose awards for sustainable tourism, team fingers still crossed! more here....
Crown nominated for Yorkshire, Moors and Coast Awards Again!
19th August 2009, the Crown was nominated for the Yorkshire Moors and Coast awards 2009, team fingers crossed! more here....
Crown Goes Green to Get Gold
9th August 2009, the Crown Spa Hotel was awarded the GOLD 
award standard from the Green Tourism Business, an officially recognised body which grades tourism businesses for their commitment, action and visible results in environmental, cultural and social aspects of their activities. more here....
Crown Scaffolding Comes Down!
5th August 2009, the 95% of the scaffolding to the front of the hotel has now been removed. A small amount remains to enable painting of the annex section where we have been removing a disused chimney, this will improve the clear lines of the building. Below is an updated image of the new front of the hotel if you hover over the image you will be able to see a before and after, old rusty flag poles have gone and a new roof (and floor) is in situ, the Corinthian column tops are painted gold and first floor railings are now painted black and the views from the top floor are breath taking!
.jpg)
Crown Spa Hotel Scarborough Winner of National Business Regional Award!
10th July 2009, The Winners of The National Business Awards Regional Programme's have been announced on the 9th July 2009 at the Hilton Cloud in Manchester in front of over a 1000 industry leaders. The winners were selected after an in depth and through interview process from a diverse range of businesses from across the England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Crown Spa Hotel had been put forward for two awards: “The Health, Work & well-being Award for Small Business” and “The Employer of the Year Award” in early May 2009 and as a finalist with in early June 2009. 
The Crown Spa Hotel won the The Health, Work and Well-being Award; this is an award created in response to the government-led initiative aimed at improving the health and well-being of working age people. This is the third year that the UK Government has sponsored this National Business Awards category.
Mr. David Chambers receives The Health, Work & well-being Award for Small Business on behalf of the team at the Crown Spa Hotel.
Winner: Crown Spa Hotel
Finalists: Chess, Alderley Edge, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise, px limited, BNS Nuclear Services
The Employer of the Year Award; Winner: Doncaster Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise. Finalists: Advance Security UK Ltd, British Independent Utilities, Crown Spa Hotel, HLM Architects, KCOM Contact Centres Ltd
David Frank Administration Director said "If you look at the organisations we were up against in what was an extremely thorough investigation and grading process you will see that we have stood out to the judges over and above some renowned industry examples of best practice. This is yet another recognition of the hard work and dedication put in by all team members at the Crown Spa Hotel. Overall we are all very proud for our organisation and for the town of Scarborough in achieving this recognition"
Crown Spa Finalist of National Business Regional Award!
31st May 2009, Finalists in The National Business Awards Regional Programme's have been announced with a diverse range of businesses from across the England, Wales and Northern Ireland represented for 2009. The Crown Spa Hotel has been put forward for final judging in early June 2009 for two awards:
- The Employer of the year
- The Health, Work & well-being Award for Small Business
In each category the finalists have been narrowed down from 2000 applicants to around 6 for each award. 
The Employer of the year award, this Award will go to the organisation that can best demonstrate how, through well-adopted company values, the provision of stimulating and supportive workplaces and the active development of all employees, it has applied its human and supporting resources to achieve commercial success.
The Health, Work and Well-being Award is in response to the government-led initiative improving the health and well-being of working age people, today further underlined its commitment to the UK’s workforce with the announcement of its National Business Awards category sponsorship for the third year running.
David Frank, Administration Director at the Crown Spa Hotel said "The nomination for finalist of two categories of this prestigious award is a testament to the hard work and dedication put in by all members of our organisation in fulfilling our vision statement of the Crown Spa Hotel being the preferred hotel and leisure destination on the Yorkshire Coast.”
Scarborough Most Enterprising Place in Europe!
14th May 2009, Scarborough has been named the most enterprising place in Europe.
The accolade, which saw Scarborough beat other European cities, was awarded in the European Commission competition in recognition of its work to encourage people to start up and grow businesses and create jobs.
The resort, already named as the most enterprising place in Britain, was up against European cities including Finland's capital Helsinki, Spain's second biggest port, Valencia and Liege in Belgium.
Scarborough's winning bid was just simply better because it is the best place in the world to live, work and play! :)
Crown Spa Finalist in National Business Awards!
8th May 2009, Finalists in The National Business Awards Regional Programme's have been announced with a diverse range of businesses from across the England, Wales and Northern Ireland represented for 2009. The Crown Spa Hotel has been put forward for final judging in early June 2009 for two awards:
- The Employer of the year
- The Health, Work & well-being Award for Small Business
In each category the finalists have been narrowed down from 2000 applicants to around 6 for each award. more here...
Crown Spa Team investing time in the community.
30th April 2009 Members of the Crown spa Hotel team participated in a litter pick organised by the Scarborough Borough Council and local community groups which take place each month simultaneously in many areas of the borough.
Vicky Riley, human resources manager at the Crown Spa Hotel, said: "The Crown Spa Hotel is involved with the Green Tourism Business Scheme and as part of our involvement and commitment to local community based projects, we wanted to give something back to the community.
"As our customers use the cliff paths and regularly comment on the beauty of the area we thought this would be the ideal opportunity to extend our hand to the Friends group to assist in just one of their many worthwhile community projects."
Jane Mitchell, chairman of the Friends of South Cliff Gardens, said: "Our area includes the Spa and Esplan- ade Gardens, as well as the smaller squares and gardens such as the Prince of Wales Gardens and St Martin's Square, so we have a large area to cover.
"We are delighted that the Crown Spa staff kindly volunteered to join us in helping tidy up our area, and would like to thank them for their support, we hope that their involvement will encourage other businesses to help support our local environment in this way.
"We are always looking for new members to join our community group and would welcome any potential new members at our annual meeting scheduled for 7pm on Monday May 18 at the Ambassador Hotel, Bronte Suite."
Crown Spa Awarded ROSPA award!
10th April 2009 Today we were awarded a Bronze ROSPA award. We will be working towards GOLD over the next 2 years.more here...
Crown Spa Solar Panel Planning Permission Granted!
19th March 2009, Today we were given planning for solar panels on the roof more here...
Crown Spa Finalist in Insider Business Tourism Awards!
19th March 2009, Finalist in Insider Business Tourism Awards 2009!
More than 230 business tourism professionals, as well as conference buyers from around the country, attended the second Insider Business Tourism Awards, which saw the best in the industry acknowledged by their own peers.
The black tie dinner, held at The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, was attended by everyone who is anyone in Yorkshire’s business tourism community and kept them dancing and networking until the small hours.
The Crown Spa was finalist in two categories;
Small Venue of the Year
Best Business Hotel of the Year
The Crown Spa had a special mention for "punching" well above its weight in the two categories.
It was windy then the roof blew off!
5th February 2009
Whilst the rest of the country has been battling against the snow and wintry weather; Scarborough has managed to fair quite well from the snow. However, the winter season is the season for spectacular storms and we have had some big ones just lately.
On the eve of Sunday 1st February 2009 a big storm was hitting the east coast, unfortunately the Crown Spa Hotel's roof sustained serious damage and is presently being made safe ready for replacement.
The scaffolding took 3 days to arrange, erection took several days with more required latter, unfortunately the winds picked up again by late in the week and erection was temporarily halted. David Chambers Operations Manager said "We have had much greater winds in the the past but it seems this rare easterly wind hit the roof in such a way that a large portion was ripped off, this caused further structural issues to the roof which worsened over the next day; the whole roof need to be replaced, at considerable cost; it was extremely fortunate that nobody was hurt." He further added that "this has forced the management to bring forward works which were scheduled for starting at the end of the season to now, the works should take a total of around 4 to 5 months. Luckily there is a fourth floor that is disused so that there is a full floor between guests on the third floor and the work on the roof, so noise from the roof works will be to very minimum."
The scaffolding has been erected in as sympathetic way as possible to safeguard views from the rooms, I hope that our loyal guests will be sympathetic to this unfortunate situation. The business continuing as normal during the repair works.
Fortunately not all the front of the hotel is affected, the north elevation is unaffected due to this section essentially being a separate building on this Georgian terrace.
Crown Spa Finalist in Hotel Excellence Awards!
28th January 2009, Finalist in Hotel Excellence Awards 2009!
Today the Crown Spa was awarded finalist in THREE categories for the National Hotel Excellence Awards;
EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE - INDEPENDENT (read case study here)
EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY - INDEPENDENT (read case study here)
EXCELLENCE THROUGH PEOPLE - INDEPENDENT (read case study here). The Crown Spa received special mention for excellence through social responsibility.
Crown Spa Looks Back over the last year
31 st December 2008
2008 was a very interesting year
January
- impending economic gloom suspected and the death of Heath Ledger
February
- US election Campaign really got into gear and Interest rates were cut 0.25% to 5.25%
March
- budget, markets being rattled by worries about the banking system and Heather Mills' (loved her divorce outfit) £24.3m divorce settlement with estranged husband Sir Paul McCartney
April
- arrest of Karen Matthews over the disappearance of her daughter Shannon, the arrest of Shannon's stepfather on porn charges and the announcement that Karen Matthews would face trial on kidnap charges. Brazilian football star Ronaldo and an interesting adventure that made us all smile.
May
- The poor result for Labour in local elections prompted Gordon Brown to say he was disappointed in the party's performance. David Cameron hailed the end of the New Labour era. Boris Johnson became London Mayor. Labour's woes continued with a protest by truck drivers’ over the level of tax imposed era. Crown Spa Hotel became 4 star.
June
- It was a month of mixed fortunes for footballers. Wayne Rooney got married, but Gazza was sectioned for a second time. Professional footballer Luke McCormick was arrested after two boys were killed in a crash on the M6 in Staffordshire.
July
- back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin and his wife Anne were jailed for more than six years each for fraudulently claiming £250,000
August
- The Olympics also loomed large, notably the spectacular opening ceremony and the revelation that the star of the show mimed her way through her performance.
September
- Fears were high the world was going to end, with the start of the Big Bang experiment. Lehman Brothers bank filed for bankruptcy in the US, and in the UK HBOS entered into merger talks with Lloyds to prevent its collapse. Banks were bailed out, but still their shares fell. Stamp duty was axed on houses below £175,000 in an effort to resuscitate the faltering property market. And there was stock market volatility amid the uncertainty. Crown Spa Hotel in finals of “White Rose awards”
October
- The BBC hit the headlines this month, with the suspension of Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand over a prank phone call. Central banks cut interest rates, bank shares took a pounding, US stocks slid to a five year low and UK banks received a £37bn bailout.
November
- Barack Obama won the US Presidential election and John Sergeant quitting Strictly Come Dancing despite strong public votes. The financial situation continued to attract attention, with the chancellor unveiling his public borrowing plans, UK interest rates being slashed to 3%. Also we all watched the tragic unfolding of events in the Mumbai attacks
December
- With all the talk of recession and job losses, a story about a Glasgow family where no-one works struck a nerve. As did news that interest rates were being cut to a 57-year low. A young Chinese woman left partially deaf following a passionate kiss from her boyfriend proved very popular, and were e-mailed all over the world. The conclusion of the Shannon Matthews saga drew a large number of readers, with her mother Karen being found guilty of kidnap.
VAT rate change how does it affect business at the Crown Spa!
25 th November 2008
No Gross Selling Price Reduction Required for the following;
- Any goods or services where agreement to purchase has been made after the 1st December 2008 but before 31st December 2009 will be charged at a standard rate of 15%.
- Any goods or services (bookings or purchases) made after the official notification of the VAT change on the 25th November 2008 for arrival or consumption after the 1st December 2008 but before 31st December 2009 are quoted at rates inclusive of 15% VAT.
For the above two scenarios no adjustment to final bills will be required for the VAT change from 17.5% to 15%.
Gross Selling Price Reduction Required for the following;
Where an agreement was made before the 25th November 2008 between the Crown Spa Hotel and a client for goods or services to be supplied by the hotel after the 1st December 2008 but before the 31st December 2009 an adjustment for the reduction in the VAT rate from 17.5% to 15% will need to be reflected in the gross selling price.
This change though not a contractual right according to our terms and conditions is a change that the management has chosen to implement to encourage economic stimulation in the economy at this very difficult time for the country and to comply with the ethical stance of our Corporate Social Responsibility Statement (CSR).
How will this affect your final bill if the scenario above applies to you?
For example if you had booked a 2 night stay for 8th December 2008 in October 2008 for £112.50 B&B per room per night for 2 persons your accommodation charge under the old VAT rate of 17.5% would be £225.00 in total (if no goods or service were booked to your room during your stay).
Under the new VAT rules your bill is reduced by ( (115/117.5)*£225.00) to £220.22; effectively a reduction of 2.1276%.
Yes! Not just a simple 2.5% reduction as the previous 17.5% VAT gross price was reached by multiplying the net rate of £191.49 * 1.175 to reach £225.00.
To reach the correct gross price at 15% VAT the net selling price of £191.49 is multiplied by 1.15 = £220.22.
Any drinks purchased during the example stay above will be at the VAT rate and gross selling price at the time of the purchase (i.e. 15% VAT and a gross selling price reflecting this from 1st December 2008 to 31st December 2009).
Another example of the VAT reduction has been a reduction in our premium Health Club membership from £48 to £47 as the membership fees were agreed before the 25th November 2008. As a result the management has reduced all our membership fees for the period 1st December 2008 to 31st December 2009 to fairly reflect the VAT rate change.
We will have adjusted all relevant pricing in the systems we operate, so that this needy boost to the country's economy is implemented by our organisation and so that as an organisation we comply with our Corporate Social Responsibility Statement.
Accounting for VAT between 1st December 2008 and 31st December 2009 will be at 15%.
As an organisation that sells goods and services with a long lead time before the tax point date for VAT is reached we have had to deal with two issues;
- Changing the VAT rate from 17.5% to 15% in our systems, a tasking but relatively easy change consuming around 15 man hours.
- Changing the Gross selling price for business quoted before the official announcement on the 25th November 2008 for tax point dates between 1st December 2008 and 31st December 2009 consuming 40 man hours.
We estimate the cost of implementing these changes above in our systems to have cost around £2500 with man hours in house and support costs. MORE...
Crown Spa Wins Hotel of the Year again!
14 th November 2008
Winner of Yorkshire, Moors & Coast Hotel of the Year AGAIN!
Scarborough's Crown Spa Hotel was named hotel of the year (50 bedrooms and over) for the second year running. Manager David Chambers collected the award along with 12 other team members who filled the awards stage and said: "Yet again everyone's hard work has paid off, it's absolutely fantastic for the hotel team and Scarborough."
Judges noted that the mystery shopper who visited the hotel were very impressed with the city feel and the 4 star feel of the property and service.
Yorkshire gains £30m tourism boost (over 3 years)
10 th November 2008
A £30 million investment over 3 years is being seen as a trigger to transform Yorkshire and Humber’s tourism economy into a powerful sector.
Yorkshire Forward (the regional development agency) will be used as a catalyst to attract new public and private sector funds. 
The money will be used to help better co-ordinate the existing investment in tourism, which is forecasted to result in an increase in regional visitor spend per year of £300 million , according to the Yorkshire Tourist Board (soon to be renamed and branded);
the main priority is to update the region’s image to attract 5% more new visitors.
The Yorkshire Tourist Board aims to achieve this by showcasing examples of the region’s transformed towns and cities, such as Sheffield, which has benefited from significant public and private investment in recent years.
Similarly, traditional tourism destinations such as Scarborough have a new face to sell to the world, having just been announced as the most enterprising in Britain.
The investment is the most significant ever in the region’s tourism industry, with an increased investment from Yorkshire and Humber’s Regional Development Agency of 59% a year over the next three years.
Tourism already employs 243,500 people in Yorkshire and Humber and contributes £6.1 billion to the economy.
Yorkshire Tourist Board chief executive Gary Verity said: “The visitor economy in Yorkshire and Humber involves almost everyone.
“As well as tourism businesses and the local authorities who help make the region the great place it is to visit, everyone who lives here has a part to play in promoting what we have and encouraging visitors to spend their money here.
“But we need strong leadership and clear messages that everyone understands and promotes, and it is our job to provide that leadership and focus for the industry.
“On the back of Yorkshire Forward’s investment, Yorkshire Tourist Board and our regional tourism partners are committed to taking tourism to the next level which is an extremely exciting proposition.
“We will capitalise upon our strengths and build upon our rich heritage but reinvigorate our image to promote our diverse and contemporary tourism offering.
“Our energy and drive in marketing and promoting the region will push the boundaries of tradition to the limit and catapult Yorkshire and Humber centre stage to a global market.”
Terry Hodgkinson, chair of Yorkshire Forward, said: “Tourism is a significant driver in Yorkshire and Humber’s economy and represents one of the largest sectors in the region which is why we are making this investment to grow this further.
“Yorkshire Forward’s increased investment is testimony to the significance and growing importance of the tourism sector in the regional economy.”
John Godber speaker for ladies lunch
3rd November 2008
In aid of St. Catherine's Hospice John Godber will be speaker 
for a ladies lunch at the Crown Spa Hotel. John Godber is one of the very popular modern witers. John Godbers plays have featured at both the Hull Truck and the Stephen Joseph Theatres. Notable plays under his belt are Bouncers, Teechers and Up 'n' Under. He has helped turn the Hull Truck Theatre into one of the best known teatre groups in the country. The three-course ladies starts at noon on Wednesday 12th November 2008, tickets are £27.50; for more information contact 01723 378406.
Landmark hotel reflects the renaissance of Scarborough
23rd October 2008 Yorkshire Post
SCOUR the visitors' book at the Crown Spa Hotel and there's a good chance you'll find the signatures of Michael Caine and Margaret Thatcher. It is proud of its claim to be the first purpose-built resort hotel in Britain, and has attracted a host of celebrity visitors over the years. A Scarborough landmark since June 1845, it's about to accommodate more guests than ever.
Its rebirth reflects broader trends in Scarborough. Over the next year, it will gain another 24 bedrooms as it attempts to grab a bigger share of the business market.
The hotel has a colourful history which reflects the peaks and troughs in the tourist trade.
David Frank, the Crown Spa Hotel's administration director, recalled: "The Crown was among a series of hotels built when the railway first came to Scarborough in the mid-1840s. In 1841, a railway link between York and Scarborough was being talked of in Parliament. Investors realised that the new railway connections would make Scarborough an easier destination to visit for all and an opportunity to make a handsome return in the process."
The strength of the tourism trade was so great that in 1898, the Crown Hotel – as it was then called – changed hands for £750,000 and had a further £250,000 spent on refurbishments, which included electric lighting.
In 2000, The Crown became a "family affair" when it was sold by the Regal Hotel Group for £2m to a local family-owned independent company named Chariet, which is still in charge today and headed by Richard Frank, the managing director.
He said yesterday: "At the time, the hotel was in a bad state, with water coming in through the roof. Generally, we have spent £1m per year since the acquisition increasing the number of bedrooms from 78 to 91. We have taken obsolete store rooms and converted them into bedrooms."
He added: "By February 2009, all 91 bedrooms will be refurbished. The team at the Crown see a great future for the town, particularly since the start of the Scarborough Renaissance project which was backed by Yorkshire Forward. Since early 2000, the number of team members has increased from 37 to 103 because of increased business activity; turnover has tripled since 2000, to £3.7m a year."
The hotel plans to create an extra 24 rooms by this time next year. Twelve extra permanent jobs will also be created.
David Frank added: "People in Scarborough are starting to realise they have got hope in the town. With the renaissance project, people from different industries now communicate more openly and effectively. If you give people hope, they are half way there."
The hotel is also keen to stress its "green" credentials, which include energy-saving lighting and extra insulation. The company has its own "green team" which encourages all staff members to reduce waste.
Richard Frank added: "We are appealing to the more sophisticated leisure and business customer. Although the country is going through the credit crunch, there are still flurries of networking events which are worthy of support."
The hotel is a supporter of the two-day International Business Forum, which is being held at Scarborough's Spa complex on November 5 and 6. The Yorkshire Post is a media partner.
Crown Spa Host to Ambassadors Dinner with top banker from the Bank of England
23rd October 2008
The Crown Spa played host to the town renaissance dinner on the 23rd october 2008. Along with the Lord Derwent, Peter Wilkinson and many other business leaders in the area, was a question and answer session from Charles Bean from the Bank Of England who sits on the board which makes decisions on monetray policy. With the current credit crisis and recent bank failures the questions were lively and well answered.
Scarborough Awarded Most Enterprising Town
16th October 2008
Scarborough has won this most prestigious award by beating stiff competition from all over the UK.
"Wow is all I can say," said Nick Taylor, Scarborough renaissance manager. "This is a great reflection of the huge amount of effort that everyone has put in to promoting Scarborough. It shows the tenacity, thrift and vision of so many businesses in the town. We had not even dared to imagine how great it would be to win, so this is a great success story for a small town in Yorkshire."
Scarborough's submission to the competition was based upon many of the achievements of the town's Renaissance Project, including the £4.8million Woodend Creative Workspace, the new harbour pontoons project, and the Rotunda, which recently underwent a £4.4 million facelift, including many inspections of local businesses of which the Crown Spa Hotel was inspected. David Chambers Operations Manager Said "The inspection can just after we were confirmed our 4 star status and was a very through town inspection."
The regeneration concepts have also included the Spa refurbishments, and the introduction of the prestigious Tourism Awards. The North Bay developments and the new casino are not part of the official renaissance programme, but they have added to the level of action and attention.
Scarborough businessman Tom Pindar, dubbed the father of Scarborough renaissance by the Evening News, said: "It is a fantastic win for Scarborough as it shows we are being recognised as a place that really cares about business and cares about a better way of living for everyone.
"My ambition has always been for Scarborough to be recognised in this way."
The judges were also presented with the plans for Scarborough's new £9 million Business Park, which will see the existing business park double in size.
One of the countries most successful entrepreneurs, James Murray Wells, who founded
glasses direct, was among the panel and was extremely impressed with what he saw.
He said: "We had an incredible day and I'm going away thinking Scarborough is full of entrepreneurs."
The judges were also shown two of Scarborough's multi million pound investments. The 4.8 million Woodend Creative Workspace and the Rotunda, which recently under went a £4.4 million face lift.
As winner of the Enterprising Britain competition Scarborough will now be given automatic nomination as the UK representative in the European Enterprise Awards.
Fat Face Scarborough
4th October 2008
This year’s Fat Face Night Race, which took place in Scarborough to a crowd of 6,000, was a night of high-adrenaline fun.
Gee, Rachel and Dan Atherton are raced, as did World Master Champions Lee Bertram and Lynda Davis, and Team BikeRadar’s Marc Beaumont, Neil Donoghue and Will Longden.
The course was being kept under wraps for until the opening morning with test runs taking place from lunch time, the race started at Scarborough Castle, featured some amazing man-made wooden features that awed the crowds, and finish next to the harbour.
It’s not just the pros that contended for cash, the race is designed to accommodate riders aged 12 to 40-plus in a family friendly day; the young 12 year olds were most people's pluggy spectacle as they dropped off jumps 15 ft up!
British Longboard Club Championship Competition
4th October 2008
Saturday 4th- Sunday 5th October taking place in both Scarborough's South Bay. This event was well worth watching with teams from across the UK. Scarborough and the coast is becoming one of the surf locations of the North due the variety of surf spots available suitable for beginner to advanced and the just plain scary! Most of the best spots are visible from the shore so can make a great visual spectacle. The Scarborough Team came second in this competition which continues through the year.
6th Annual Scarborough Jazz Festival
26th – 28th September 2008
26th-28th September at The Scarborough Spa Complex. What an impact this event has had on the jazz world! In its first four years it has enjoyed increasing national acclaim. The wonderful Victorian Scarborough Spa sparkled with the highest calibre jazz musicians at the sixth Scarborough Jazz Festival. Highlights were top vocalist Clare Teal and the prestigious BBC Big Band; Guy Barker's stunning Jazz Orchestra; saxophone superstar Courtney Pine; Tom Cawley's outstanding 'Curios'; UK's leading tango ensemble 'Tango Siempre'; band of 2008 moment quintet 'Empirical'; Alan Barnes' Ellingtonians and the acclaimed vocalist Claire Martin with the exceptional Gareth Williams Trio.
The superb regional bands 'Tribute to Atlantic Jazz', Jamil Sheriff Octet', Julie Edwards and Kevin Dearden Quintet; UK Promoters' Choice bands Gareth Roberts Quintet, Alcyona Mick Quintet and Indo-Jazz fusion band 'Free Spirits'; and the witty, multi-award winning reeds player Alan Barnes as compere. What a weekend over 200 people attened!
NB: The Crown Spa Hotel is but a stone’s throw away from the Spa Complex!
Fishy Things Going On!
27th September 2008
As the UK’s most popular hobby; yes we are talking Fishing the Yorkshire Coast is party to a number of leading events this autumn.
One of the more unusual forms of the sport is fishing from an Ocean Kayak; a great way of seeing the Coastal Scenery from an unusual perspective whilst also having the opportunity to bring home some fresh fish for supper!
Flying the Flag For Scarborough
26th September 2008
Yorkshire tourism industry's best kept secret is out – the White Rose Award winners have been announced.Five hundred guests attended the ceremony held at Bridlington Spa last night; there were accolades for businesses in the Scarborough area with others coming close to the top prize.
The winner of the self catering holiday of the year award was Noelles Cottages, Pickering with Cherrygarth Cottages, Slingsby, among the finalists.
Guest accommodation of the year award was won by Low Penhowe, Burythorpe, near Malton, with 17 Burgate, Pickering, and The Wold Cottage, Wold Newton being among the finalists.
Taste of Yorkshire award went to The Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton, Beverley with Low Penhowe among the finalists. Low Penhowe was also listed in the finalists for tourism website of the year. Leys Holiday Accommodation, Filey, The Black Swan Tearoom and Patisserie, Helmsley, and Go Ape! at Dalby Forest missed out on the best newcomer to tourism award to Ackroyd House, Holmfirth.
Whitby's Starfish Accommodation was pipped to the post for the sustainable tourism award by Hull's The Deep.
Easthill Farm House and Gardens, Thornton-le-Dale, Field House Farm Cottages, Bridlington and YHA Whitby, Whitby, were all finalists in the access for all tourism award – only to miss out to Novotel Sheffield Centre.
Malton's TIC was in the running for tourism information service of the year award. That was won by Wakefield TIC. Lebberston Touring Park was beaten to the title of caravan holiday park of the year by Far Grange Park, Skipsea.
The White Swan, Pickering, was in the running for hotel of the year (up to 50 bedrooms). The title was won by Dean Court Hotel, York.
And Scarborough's Crown Spa Hotel missed out on hotel of the year (35 bedrooms and more) to Thorpe Park Hotel and Spa in Leeds which is a large £60M development.
Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby, and Filey Museum were both finalists in visitor attraction of the year (under 50,000 visitors a year). The winner in the category was Wentworth Castle Gardens and Stainborough Park, Barnsley.
The awards are organised annually by Yorkshire Tourist Board (YTB), and supported by Yorkshire Forward.
David Andrews, YTB chief executive, said "Congratulations to all of the winners.
"To receive a White Rose Award is an indication of the quality standards realised by the recipients.
"To be a finalist, of which there were more than 90, is a great achievement in itself but out of those only 17 have been awarded with a trophy, which is indicative of the levels of excellence those short listed had to aspire to."
Scarborough's tourist boost in credit crunch
24th July 2008
SCARBOROUGH looks set to benefit from the credit crunch as families flock to the seaside in search of a cheaper holiday. The rise of the euro against the pound and air fares pumped up by massive fuel surcharges are prompting more people to head to domestic retreats.
The Crown Spa Hotel's David Frank said; overall the pattern for more UK holidays has been steadily increasing over the last few years due to a number of issues;
· Hassle and stresses of packing for a fortnight everything into say 2 suitcases
· Sitting in a queue at the airport and the regular delays in the journey adds stress to the holiday experience.
· The euro is now making European travel more expensive
· The unwelcome greeting at US customs and immigration control is putting people off the states
· Coming back to a mountain of work after a fortnights holiday means a number of senior managers are having just long weekends away and “staycations”.
· Growing awareness of the un-sustainability of air travel
As a result domestic tourism is on the up overall; though not for everyone!
The domestic tourist is increasingly intolerant of establishments that lack quality in furnishing and service; they expect a more sophisticated guest experience from all providers.
A higher expectation for higher levels of customer service has been brought about due to experiences traveling abroad where generally it is accepted (in the local community) that a good career can be derived from working in the hospitality industry; this results in generally higher service levels overall; though the UK is very much catching up with expected service levels and long-term career provision as a whole.
Quality of furnishings is firmly on the client’s mind as many people’s own bedrooms and bathrooms are equivalent to a 4 or 5 star hotel room from the 90’s; those establishments that have not up graded their rooms stock will find it increasingly difficult to bridge the furnishings expectation gap; many homes already have a master room ensuite; the non-ensuite room is a thing of the past.
Overall indications from surveys conducted with our clients; the majority are unwilling to totally give up the fortnight abroad; though there is an increasing number who are taking frequent “mini-holidays” within the UK and many of the family clients duration of stay on average is longer than it was 2-3 years ago. Overall the client are still having holidays though they are very much more price conscious and their expectations from a UK holiday experience are greater than a year ago; in order for establishments to hold their own sustainable future in the present market they must look to bridging the gap and exceeding clients expectations in every way. Quality of customer service and quality of furnishings always shines through poor trading times!
Scarborough one of most popular destinations
4th July 2008
SCARBOROUGH has been named as one of the most popular destinations for a romantic break in the UK. The resort has romped home in sixth position for couples wanting a love break.
One major Scarborough hotel was not surprised at the outcome. David Chambers, operations manager at the Crown Spa Hotel, in Esplanade, said: "We do get a lot of couples here, without a doubt. Because of the leisure facilities we have on offer here people do come for a romantic break. We offer packages for couples with champagne and flowers, which has proved to be popular. We definitely get more couples than families, especially with the weekend trade."
The survey also found that a third of those polled believed summer was the best time for a romantic weekend break.
Cycling trio's Parisian pursuit to boost funds
28th April 2008
Stuart Russell, 32, the club manager of Scarborough's Crown Spa gym, and members Dave Gadsby, 33, and Richard Austin, 43, are cycling to Paris from London this summer.
The team, called the Crown Spa Spinners, hope to raise £3,500 for Action Medical Research from the event on July 23-27.
Mr Russell said: "I will be challenging more than just my fitness.
"This means that aside from all the training and preparation that goes into distance cycling I will be trying to raise as much money as I can for Action Medical Research."
The trio are appealing for donations and have organised a charity dinner dance on Friday May 30 in aid of the event.
Work colleague, and managing director of Eazee Access, Frank Wright has also promised to donate proceeds from the hire of his machines during the next month.
Action Medical Research hopes to have around 450 people taking part on the ride, with the cyclists arriving in the French capital in time to watch the end of the Tour de France.
It is not the first time the three men have taken on an extreme outdoor pursuit to raise cash.
Three years ago they completed the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the same charity.
Action Medical Research is a leading medical charity, looking to help people who suffer serious illnesses by selecting the best research projects in areas where they are most likely to find cures or treatments.
The charity has been making breakthroughs for more than 50 years, including helping develop the polio vaccine in the UK, ultrasound scanning in pregnancy and the hip replacement operation.
Crown Flips it to the finals!
6th February 2008
Many hundred's of people lined Aberdeen Walk and cheered as the teams, made their way to the start line. This was the Crown Spa's second Pancake Olympics and the pressure was on to do our best against stiff competition from experienced teams including Boyes, Matalan and the Local Evening News; as we had won the previous year.
Everyone was off like a shot, trying to run as fast as possible and flip their pancake three times en route before handing it to the next team member.
Teams that made it through the heats into the final were the Royal Hotel, Boyes, the Crown Spa Hotel, St Catherine’s Hospice and Right 4 Staff.
Unfortunately we lost to Boyes (our local department store) but never mind better luck next year; now where was that job application from our local sprint champion! :)
Crown Spa visited by Cafe' Tasters
19th November 2007
BEING in the Ramshill area we decided to go up-market and dine at the Crown Spa Hotel.
It was a nice sunny day but a little cool to sit outside, so we opted to sit near the reception area.
There is a restaurant but we decided on the cosy relaxed atmosphere in the lounge and the nice view over the Esplanade and sea.
The mixture of sofas and chairs in cream and with dark wooden tables gives this place a modern look to the otherwise traditional surroundings.
We were very surprised how reasonable the prices were; the sandwich being £3.95 and the baguette £4.95.
Other items on the menu ranged from house salads between £8.75-£10.25, pizza, pasta and burgers from £5.95-£9.25, homemade soups with freshly baked bread at £3.50, various hot and cold sandwiches from £3.75-£5.45, various side orders costing between 95p-£2.75 and a small selection of cakes from £1.75-£2.50.
They also do an afternoon tea which consisted of an assortment of sandwiches, homemade fruit scone with clotted cream and preserve, homemade chocolate cake all served with a pot of tea or coffee.
A three-course Sunday Lunch with complementary coffee is available for £14.95. There is also a large selection of coffees, teas, soft and alcoholic drinks.
The service was excellent and the three young waiters were very attentive, polite and smartly dressed.
Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and a lovely change from the hustle and bustle of the town centre cafes.
Louise and Helen's Star Rating
Overall Opinion *****
Value for Money ****
Customer Comments
Read comments or leave your own...
