Yorkshire Dales hotel unveils lockdown makeover

The Stone House Hotel, located in the Yorkshire Dales National Park has opened its doors to guests again after completing a full renovation, thanks to a £450,000 funding package from NatWest.

After being forced to close during the second national lockdown in November 2020, the owners of the country house hotel near Hawes decided to use the time to refurbish and extend the premises and car park.

The finance has been used to completely revamp the hotel including updating the 24 bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms. The guest bedrooms have new modern décor and upgraded technology including interactive smart TVs. The communal areas have also been updated with the addition of a new bar area.

The major project has been in planning for the last two years, and after six months of work, the hotel is now ready.

Peter Westwood, director of The Stone House Hotel, said: “Plans for a hotel refurbishment had been in planning for more than two years but we kept pushing them back. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we had been thinking of starting the upgrade, and once the second lockdown was announced we decided to go for it.

“After speaking with NatWest and hearing their advice, we decided it was the perfect time to go ahead with the updates. We already had all the plans in place so when we were forced to close during the November lockdown, we took the opportunity.

“Thanks to the work of our local suppliers and NatWest, the refurbishment is now complete, and we are already welcoming guests to enjoy our new facilities.”

Peter works alongside his business partner and brother-in-law Chris Taplin who is also a director of the hotel. The full-service hotel has been in the same family for more than 40 years and employs 30 staff from the local area.

David Holdsworth, relationship manager at NatWest, said: “In very uncertain times, it’s great to have been able to help a hospitality business utilise the situation is a positive way. After all the hard work Peter and Chris have put into the renovation, I’m sure they will agree that it has definitely paid off.”