Recently, I had the revelation that having an amazing pair of Grade 2 listed townhouses in a conservation area in York with 15 bedrooms does just about make a hotel. it's a great little property in an amazing location and it has significant potential.

So, I now have a new vision this is no longer the Holgate Bridge Hotel which was a tired 3-star B&B, this is Holgate, this is a statement of intent for the future of this area of the city of York, this is to be the diamond in the Wrath which will help everybody grow in the area.

We are lucky enough to be in the St. Paul's Square conservation area and this is the only private Garden Square in York. We are no longer a B&B, we are an iconic destination hotel providing excellent service, interior design led rooms with a modern mid-century theme, making the most of the industrial heritage of the area in a modern way, with staff who are young, trendy and personable.

I look forward to the next 5 years whilst we continue to develop and making small changes including those that have already taken place, including the new breakfast menu, redesigning the dining room to fit more covers in and make it more efficient and more convenient for our guests, opening up a past and putting a coffee machine in the dining room, redesigning the kitchen so that chef and washer have separate sides of the room - I just want everyone to focus on their individual area of responsibility to grow in their confidence and capability and deliver a better product and service to our guests.

I want the building to do the talking in terms of design and I want to just lean into the industrial heritage of Holgate Bridge which is a historic railway monument respected globally for its iron infrastructure that is the way forward for the Holgate. It’s set to be a rocky yet rewarding road to anyone who comes in on that journey.