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 Martin and Brigitte Skan purchased Chewton Glen in 1966, at that time it was a eight-bedroomed hotel, there are now fifty-eight rooms and suites, all of them are designed differently, with a combination of antique furnishings, magnificent fabrics and countless knick-knacks, that have created a sophisticated elegant style. What I personally like, is that Martin and Brigitte, I feel that I have known them for years, are not remote hotel owners, they like to meet their guests, they remember the little things about you and this reflects in their staff, everybody is greeted personally by name, greetings at the door made me feel I had never left, this is not just because I am Press, I watched this, and it applied to all guests, I saw arrive. American people love the British country-style hotels, but Chewton Glen is the original, there are most certainly many copies, but none to match. Chewton Glen was also one of the first hotels in Britain with a spa, it was a pioneer at the time and it's new developments have elevated it back to pole position
“Chewton Glen is a like a vintage wine,
it matures and gets better with age
and deserves seven stars for service”
The hotel is a modern-day case study on how to run a business, and how the owners want to be part of the development of the business, everybody is part of the business, from the directors to the cleaners, they are all asked for input, I would suggest that directors of companies who deal with the public visit and observe, it is a leading case study, that would grace any university in the world.
On an evening gentlemen generally wear jackets and ties in the bar, before evening meal, you can wear a designer brand tie and shirt and look trendy, the number one tailoring street in London Savile Row is well represented. People dress to respect the image, it is that little special. The bar has deep red furnishings, including the walls, it makes a cold day very warm, including when I visited last May, which was like a chilly February day.
"My favourite hotel to escape
to from the stress of London”
 One of my favourite things to do on an afternoon is to have tea and scones, I love to catch-up on the magazines available, I slumped into a nice easy chair and started to read up-to-date publications, most hotels have magazines, with corners missing, and you would normally associate with a British doctor's surgery, about two years out of date, not Chewton Glen, the latest off the Borders bookshelves.
Andrew Standbridge the Managing Director, arranged for me to have dinner with him, on my Monday night of my stay, I found him to be a entrepreneurial MD, and he most certainly knew about the hotel market internationally, I find most hotel directors I meet are very light on the facts, not Andrew, he said: "many people visit Chewton Glen, for a special occasion it is a one-off visit, for an anniversary or a family event, it has to be a lasting memory, perceptions he spoke about, what people expect from visiting the hotel. They have heard a great deal about the hotel, we have to offer more than they would expect," which is great vision and a wonderful business trait to have.
He also told me that they don't advertise, only occasionally in the Weekend Financial Times Colour Supplement in Britain, which fits in with their clientele. To stay at the hotel you don't have to be rich or famous, everybody is treated the same, and many celebrities and well-known people rub shoulders with other guests, he also told me that Brigitte Skan chooses the wall papers and color patterns for the rooms, and spends a great deal of time looking at detail. The rooms live-up to their traditions with Chesterfield couches and Chinz designs, but there is most certainly the modern touch, including Plasma TV's and Bang Olsen music centres.
I would suggest other spa and hotel owners should visit Chewton Glen to see how a successful operation is run, it looks so easy, but I know behind the scenes a great deal of work goes into making guests visits so perfect..
© SPA MANAGEMENT JOURNAL - MARCH 2006
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