New general manager appointed to Lace Market hotel
Dulce Marques has been appointed as general manager of the Lace Market hotel in Nottingham and has said she wants the hotel to once more be the "go-to place to stay" in Nottingham.
The 42-bedroom hotel, formerly run by Finesse Hotels, went into administration in May 2014 and was closed for 18 months. It reopened in October 2015 after a £300,000 refurbishment, and is now owned by investors Rakesh Patel and Uday Pilani and managed by Bangkok-based Compass Hospitality.
Originally from Portugal, Marques has more than 18 years' experience in the hospitality industry, and began working in hotels in the Swiss Alps. She spent eight years at the Cannizaro House hotel in Wimbledon, London, before spending a year as operations manager for the launch of Hotel Gotham in Manchester.
She said thanks to the beauty of the Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse, its legacy and recent refurbishment, aesthetically "it's just final touches now".
She told The Caterer her focus was on getting the word out that the hotel has reopened by advertising its new menu from head chef Ben Chaplin and afternoon tea deals locally and via social media. She hopes to get people in and build up the reputation of the hotel once more.
She is also looking at the branding of the hotel outlets; as well as the hotel there is its Merchants restaurant and Cock & Hoop pub. She suggested the possibility of a unified Lace Market brand name may be explored to ensure no outlet gets forgotten about, while also respecting the legacy of the property.
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