The Royal Hotel at Kirkby Lonsdale is celebrating its ‘best ever’ year.
The popular town centre venue, owned by hospitality group James’ Places, has just reported a bumper 2017 enjoying a 20% year-on-year uplift in turnover and an 11% increase in room occupancy. Bar and dining rates were up – coffee by a whopping 20%, bringing the total number of hot drinks enjoyed to 29,000 in 2017. The year ended on a high with soaraway Christmas sales.
General manager Damian Atkins put the success down to a number of factors including a ground floor redesign and a trend towards a longer tourist season.
Said Damian: “We have benefitted from the fact that visitors now come to Kirkby Lonsdale almost all year round. It used to be a definite Easter to October season, but more and more people seem to be choosing to explore the UK with short breaks now booming in popularity all year round.
“Kirkby Lonsdale is now busy throughout the town for far longer in the year. We are finding that our guests dine with us but will also patronise other pubs, cafes and shops in the town so it’s good for everyone and helps to make Kirkby Lonsdale the vibrant place it is. Whenever we announce one of our great value offers, our phones ring off the hook.”
Dining and drinking numbers have also improved since The Royal revamped its ground floor, moving the bar to a different area.
Damian explained: “The new location for the bar gives us a better use of space and local trade has definitely improved since we made the change. It works better for all of us.”
Sales figures reinforce the success of the internal layout alterations. The Royal served 48,000 pints of real ale in 2017, an increase of 3,000 on 2016.
Damian also felt the hotel’s customer service was helping. He said: “We have a dedicated and hard-working team, who always go the extra mile to make our customers feel welcome.”
2018 is already continuing the success with interest high in The Royal’s latest great value offer, the Spring Break, which is one night’s dinner, bed and breakfast from £145 based on two sharing a standard double room in March or April.
The Royal Hotel is part of the James’ Places portfolio of hotels, inns, interior design and hospitality businesses across the Ribble Valley and Yorkshire Dales sharing the same service values and ethos.