It has been a busy Christmas and New Year at the Idle Rocks, we were full and the atmosphere was fantastic. All the guests I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed it and I am really pleased to see a number of people re-booked for next year.
Now it’s the time of year when we can take advantage of being a little quieter and continue with our on-going programme of refurbishment. It is very pleasing to see things being finished and coming together ready for when we get busier again. I had long been waiting to update our Premier Cottage rooms – they are in the annexe next door to the hotel, and are beautiful rooms located in what used to be fisherman’s cottages years ago. They are right by the harbour wall so get quite a hammering in the winter from the sea! Very exciting for Storm-Watchers! The interior was also starting to look a bit tired, so James (who organises the fishing trips mentioned earlier by Chris) has been working very hard on these rooms and now they are open for sale again and looking much brighter. All the windows have been redone and every room has been redecorated from top to bottom. I have had some good quotations on new furniture too so I’m hoping to place an order very soon – this would finish them off perfectly.
Before I started writing this I was in Kittiwake on the 2nd floor having a nose to see how James and our plumber friends are getting on with the current project. The bathroom has been completely ripped out and replaced with new, the flooring has been redone and now they are putting up some brand new tiles. I was anxious to see the tiles as we left it to the plumbers to choose for us! But they have done well and chosen very tasteful colours! It all looks great so far, I can’t wait to see it finished. After that they move on to Tern, also on the second floor, where they will be doing the same, and both rooms will be ready for letting by the end of this month.
The next project will be more of a technical one – We will be setting up Wi-Fi (Wireless Internet) in all the bedrooms. Currently it only works in the residents lounge, but the demand for internet in bedrooms has become very high, so we know we need to move with the times! This should all be set up in time for the Summer season.
I will keep you updated on our progress!
I worked with Chris Skidmore when he was the General Manager at a nearby Hotel, The Nare, back in 2004. Initially he hired me as a Receptionist and during my time working with him I progressed to a Trainee Management position. Chris left the Nare in 2005 and shortly afterwards so did I. I travelled to Cumbria to continue my management training at a hotel by Lake Windermere and then I flew off to Australia to pursue my dream of working aboard a cruise ship. I was working on a P & O Australia ship as a purser. It was certainly an experience I will never forget, however as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz quite rightly said, there really is no place like home and I was happy to return to my hometown of Truro (as well as some proper home-cooked meals from my mum!) in March 2007. After a well deserved rest following my time at sea, I returned to The Nare to assist on Reception while I decided what my next move would be. It was at that time, on a pleasant day off, that I came over to St Mawes – somewhere I had not really explored before, for a stroll along the harbour up to St Mawes Castle then a coffee at The Idle Rocks Hotel with a friend. I was happily enjoying the view when Chris walked through the bar on his morning rounds. We were both very surprised to see each other and sat for a good hour chatting over what we had been up to since we last met. Chris asked me what my future plans were and there was a distinct twinkle in his eye – I knew he was cooking up a plan! I was right; at the time there was no such thing as a Front of House Manager here but Chris knew my experience and felt that the Hotel would benefit from someone in that position. Before I knew it, a job had been created, we had shaken on it and I was here on my first day – a chilly day in February 2008.
Since then we have been working very hard on improving standards throughout the Hotel – service, refurbishment of rooms and creating a team of staff that we can truly be proud of. I am pleased to say that working here is like working with family – we have some wonderful people and all believe in assisting each other to ensure our guests have a comfortable and relaxing holiday. It has been hugely encouraging to see the growth in the number of return guests and the number of bookings generated by referrals; for me it is one of the best ways to know that we are doing a good job! In April 2009 we completed the team by hiring Colin Wooldridge as Restaurant Manager. Fate played its hand in this as well, as Colin too knew Chris in a previous life! (Watergate Bay, 2003).
What I love about the location of the Idle Rocks is being able to enjoy all seasons. You can relax with a Pimms Cocktail on the Terrace (that’s you, not me!) with the sun beating down in the Summer, watching the boats floating by, the St Mawes Ferry going to Falmouth for shopping or visiting the Maritime Museum and the Place Ferry going over to Place for coastline walks along to St Anthony’s Head and beyond. But in the Winter you can cosy up by the roaring log fire with a delicious Cornish Cream Tea to watch some of the most exciting storms in the country! Seeing these storms for myself inspired me to create a 2 night storm watching break, which is available in January and February 2010. This break is fantastic value – see our special offers page.
Over the next few weeks I will be introducing you to key members of the team so you can know a little about us before you meet us, and I look forward to welcoming you to The Idle Rocks Hotel.
Samantha Beard
Front of House Manager
