Studley Castle Hotel, close to Stratford-upon-Avon, has officially opened its doors for business and is celebrating with an evening hosted by DJ and TV presenter Jo Whiley.
Owners Warner Leisure Hotels say it’s set to revolutionise the UK’s short-break sector through a blend of historic and contemporary facilities.
After a £50 million investment – one of the most significant investments by any British hotel group over the past few years – the Warwickshire hotel has undergone a three-year renovation in order to restore Studley Castle back to its former glory to sit alongside a contemporary new hotel wing and beautiful spa located in the original stables block.
To signal the start of the new era for Warner Leisure Hotels, Jo Whiley fronted the first-ever WarnerFest in April 2019, a celebration of British music with appearances from some of the country’s most exciting emerging talent, culminating in one of the celebrity DJ’s famous sets.
She commented, “I am delighted to be returning to Studley Castle on June 22 to host Warnerfest – a celebration of food, activities and live acts. The newly refurbished hotel not only offers a wide range of leisure options in a beautiful setting near Stratford on Avon, but has a great entertainment space to showcase new and existing artists.”
Whiley’s appearance also sets the tone for the calibre of entertainment that will feature at Studley Castle, which includes the likes of Kim Wilde, Jason Manford, Jo Caulfield, Pixie Lott and Rebecca Ferguson.
Studley Castle is the 14th luxury hotel to be added to Warner’s portfolio, which boasts many other iconic and historic buildings. Famous for being destination hotels, they offer something to suit everyone’s interests, whether you want to relax, explore, or be entertained, creating a unique proposition in a market that can be hard for consumers to find distinction in.
The Grade II* listed property was originally designed by the famous London theatre architect Samuel Beazley, and has had a diverse list of owners, from Lady Warwick who turned it into an agricultural college for women, giving them equal opportunities to men within agriculture, to the Government, which used it to train the Women’s Land Army during both World Wars.
As well as the Gothic building and stonework, Warner worked with ecological consultants to safely move a family of bats to a new home, and created a protected area for Great Crested Newts which also reside within the grounds of Studley Castle, making it an interesting conservation project in its own right.
A beautiful hotel curating more than 180 years of history, but utterly modern in outlook, Studley Castle is the perfect setting for a short break exploring and relaxing in rural Warwickshire. With a choice of 209 bedrooms, other facilities include two restaurants, a cinema, bars and lounges, a spa with a range of specialist treatments, a wide choice of outdoor pursuits to enjoy (laser clay, cycling, archery), and one of the largest live performance venues on the UK hotel scene.
Simon Thomson, Managing Director at Warner Leisure Hotels, said: “Studley Castle is a shining example of listening intently to existing and new guest feedback and giving them exactly what they wanted, without compromising on quality.
“It’s been an exciting three years of renovations in order to do the building and the original architect justice, and we firmly believe this hotel can now set the benchmark for short breaks in the UK.”
For more information and to book a break at Studley Castle, click here.
