By Jeff Hodgson, General Manager, Lumley Castle Hotel
The heart behind the Castle’s success.
Running Lumley Castle has never been without its challenges, but as the Castle continues to thrive, so too does the challenge of delivering the standards our guests expect.
Like many businesses, we are experiencing significant increases across almost every area of the operation. Food and beverage costs continue to rise, utilities remain a major challenge, and the cost of general upkeep and maintaining a historic building like Lumley Castle is something we face every single day. There is always something that needs attention, improvement or investment.
Yet, despite these pressures, Team Lumley continues to deliver.
Our team keeps pushing forward, hitting our targets and, most importantly, ensuring that our guests continue to receive the experience they have come to expect from Lumley Castle. That does not happen by accident. It happens because of the people who turn up every day, care about what they do and take pride in the Castle.
For me, recognising that effort is incredibly important.
Sometimes it is the small things that can make the biggest difference. On a sunny day, we might surprise the team with ice creams. It is a simple gesture, but it is our way of saying, we see you, we appreciate you and thank you for everything you do.
September will be particularly special as we celebrate our annual Team Appreciation Week. It is an opportunity to put our incredible team firmly in the spotlight and celebrate the contribution they make throughout the year.
And on Sunday 13 September, we will be opening the Castle up for a very special Family Fun Day, giving our team the opportunity to bring their families along and share a little bit of the place they work. After all, the support of our colleagues’ families is important too. When our teams work the evenings, weekends, celebrations and busy periods, their families often make sacrifices alongside them.
The Family Fun Day is simply our way of saying thank you.
Lumley Castle is thriving. We continue to welcome guests, create memories, deliver experiences and work towards our targets, even in what remains a challenging trading environment.
But none of that would be possible without the people behind it.
Team Lumley is the heartbeat of this Castle. The building may be hundreds of years old, but it is the people who bring it to life every single day.
So, as we look ahead to the rest of the year, I want to take this opportunity to say something that cannot be said often enough:
Thank you, Team Lumley.
Thank you for your hard work, your resilience, your commitment and the pride you take in making Lumley Castle such a special place.
The Castle may be thriving, but it is our team that makes it possible.
www.lumleycastle.com