Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa Press Release

Nestled in the Wirral countryside just twenty minutes from Liverpool and Chester, Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa is widely regarded as one of the finest in the region.

The hotel has just completed a stunning refurbishment of its award-winning restaurant The Lawns. With two AA rosettes, The Lawns was already on many people’s radar as a venue for top quality food and drink. However, hotel management decided to take the restaurant up to another level spending tens of thousands of pounds on creating an even better fine dining experience.Coinciding with the recent arrival of executive chef David Gillmore, who has worked for distinguished establishments such as Michelins at a starred Grosvenor Hotel in Chester, the restaurant has a new menu and is looking to further its reputation as one of the North West’s leading restaurants.

The Lawns’ traditional look with a modern twist was the creation of designer Sharon Snape, who founded Blackburn- based Altitude Studios. Sharon has worked extensively in the North West ’s hospitality sector, She worked with the management at The Lawns to create a complete bespoke design package, incorporating furniture, flooring, ceilings, lighting and ornaments.

Highlights of the  investment include two Swarovski crystal chandeliers, which were imported direct from Italy. Beautiful silk and woven fabrics with beaded edgings were designed in on the curtains, while set off with the new installation of the wooden floor in the bar are. The furniture included, solid walnut wood tables, luxury leather seating and individually designed tub chairs.

“We worked with designer Sharon Snape on the look of The Lawns and in choosing key showpieces such as the beautiful Swarovski crystal chandeliers. It is about bringing the best quality possible to the restaurant and giving our guests a genuinely first class dining experience.

“The refurbishment has also created five jobs and we have made sure that the staff we have taken on are well trained in giving the best service and hospitality, and that they are also knowledgeable about our menu.

“The hotel was originally built in the mid-1800s and was once the home of wealthy shipping merchants. It still retains many of its original features including the oak carvings on the staircase and the ornate leather and mother of pearl embossed ceiling, and we felt it was important that while refurbishing and modernising The Lawns, we still stayed true to the history of the building.”

The investment also included the renovation of the hotel’s Oak Room, which has been reinvented as a venue for private dining, be it for large parties or an intimate candlelit dinner.

Mr Dale said: “The Oak Room has a lot of original design features which we wanted to keep and the oak panelling really creates an elegant feel to the room.

“ We have a rolling programme of refurbishment and a number of major development opportunities over the next couple of years.

Examples of which are the further extension having received planning permission for 43 bedrooms as well as further development to our award-winning Spa.

“For the Spa we have launched a brand new ‘Relaxation Suite’, with imported luxury beds from Bali for our Spa guests to unwind and relax on before and after their treatments.”

This month The Lawns was given the highest ever score in The Mersey Partnership tourist board’s Taste Liverpool scheme.

The restaurant received a score of 91 per cent after a visit from a secret diner, the best result of 63 restaurants reviewed across Merseyside.

Mr Dale said of receiving the Highest Quality Assured award: “This is a terrific independent endorsement of the quality we work so hard to achieve, and we are delighted to find out

that our score was 91 per cent. “We will take on board all the assessor’s comments and see we use them towards delivering the best possible service for our guests. We are aiming to be the best fine dining experience in the region and this award is a step towards that goal.”

The hotel has also just completed a renovation of one its stunning character bedrooms, also designed by Sharon Snape, which combines modern luxury with a traditional influence. The room features a bathroom with over-sized bath and separate glass enclosed shower, double sinks and TV set into the wall.