Nigel Parkin takes over Windermere's Mortal Man

Nigel Parkin, former general manager of the Samling, will be plying his trade around the corner from the iconic property in Lake Windermere after a agreeing a deal to buy his first hotel, The Mortal Man.

Parkin, who is believed to have paid below the £185,000 price tag for the property, will invest a further £220,000 to refurbish the 12-bedroom hotel and pub near Troutbeck over the next year.

Initially, all the public areas including the restaurant will be refurbished, before the property is closed at the start of 2008 for a complete overhaul of its bedrooms.

Parkin said: "It will not be a design hotel, I want it to be a home from home. I will expand the staff from eight to 12 immediately and we want to keep raising the benchmark throughout the year. The theme is small luxuries that make a difference and we will feature local food and beverage in both the hotel's fine dining restaurant and the pub."

He added: "To basically take a hotel from scratch and put your stamp on it is one of the best challenges one could have. This is a long term investment for me."

Parkin, 35, has previously worked at the Turnberry hotel in Scotland, Mosimann's in London and The Samling in Cumbria.

By Emily Manson

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