Page 62 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
“I’ve worked in many of our hotels and in others too. Ground level up.”
McAllister twirled a pen in his fingers. “You’re one of the biggest hotel groups in the country. I think I can guess why you’re here. Unless it’s to poach our chef, but then you’d have gone to him directly.”
“I ate here last night. He’s very good. The meal was exceptional. Elegantly presented and delicious. He could work in any top London restaurant and if I owned this place, I wouldn’t want to lose him. I’d pay to keep him. But I’d expect him to get us a Michelin star.”
McAllister chuckled. “He’d be delighted to hear that.”
“I’ll get straight to the point. We’re interested in bringing a Northumbrian hotel into our portfolio. We don’t have a presence in this area and we’d like one. Your hotel is one of the ones I’m considering. The question is, are you for sale now or in the near future? Or should I cross you off my list?”
McAllister’s hesitation told Devan what he needed to know. For the right price, this hotel would be available.
“Why are you interested in us?” McAllister asked.
“Your location is outstanding, the views from the rooms superb. But your location is also an issue for us and the clients we expect to draw. You’re remote, not quick or easy to get to, so the price has to be right.”
McAllister laughed. “For me or you?”
“For both of us. You won’t sell and I won’t buy if it’s not. But there’s no point in me spending time and money if you’re not for sale. I’d need to get a couple of our people up here before I could make an offer. So are you interested?”
“What about my long-term guests?”
“Are they on contracts?”
“More of a verbal agreement. We give them a discounted rate.”
“We’d be amenable to assisting them to find somewhere else to live.” He’d have to persuade Alan because it wasn’t something they’d usually do.
“And the staff?”
“The hotel would have to close during building work. I’m thinking that would start after Christmas. I don’t know how long the work will take, because I’m not yet sure what will be required, but I’d estimate not re-opening until the summer. The staff would be welcome to apply for positions once the hotel was near completion.”
“But they’d be unemployed while the work was going on with no guarantee of a job once the place was ready.”
“That’s true. There’d be no guarantees. They couldn’t be expected to wait and see if they’d get a job, but having worked here and with a recommendation from you… well that would help with their application.”
In reality, the chances of any of the current members of staff working here when the hotel re-opened were small. Devan would do everything he could to retain the chef, maybe the sous-chef too, but the rest would have to get other jobs. Devan always felt bad about that whenever he did any deal, but now he and Jonty… Maybe it was better that he stopped this before it began. How many times had he thought that? He’d call Jonty and tell him he couldn’t make it today. His spirits tumbled.
“What sort of vision for the place do you have?” McAllister asked.
Tread lightly on their dreams.Words that Alan had once said to him and they’d stuck. “This hotel has stunning views in all directions. It has a fascinating history. I understand it was a convalescent home after the second world war. We’d market it as a haven. A quiet, secluded resort where guests can escape from the pressure of busy lives.”
“You’re not thinking of a kids’ club and soft play and waterslides?”
“I’m not thinking of children at all. It’s a charming hotel, sited in an area recognised for its natural beauty. In addition, there’s little light pollution, which means your night skies are fantastic. A draw in itself. I could see a small observatory here. But the place is tired. I suspect your guest numbers fall significantly once the season is over. We have ways of changing that. We’d make this a destination resort. You have a fabulous pool. We’d add a wellness spa. You have a good-sized events room, and we could make full use of it year-round.
“If the planners found it acceptable, I’d add another wing to the building for both the spa and additional rooms. Inside, I’d combine two guest rooms into one. They’re already a reasonable size, but the sort of guests we’d want to entice expect space as well as luxury.
“Obviously, I need to prepare a detailed business plan to show our investors, but without a willingness to sell, and a willingness to negotiate on price, there’s no point in going further and in that case, I’d check out the other sites.”
“Which are?”
Devan smiled. “Confidential.”
McAllister leaned back in his chair. “My children have no interest in running this place. I’d be amenable to discussions about selling, but I’d want to consult my family first, and my lawyer. Please don’t say anything to anyone.”
“Of course.” Devan pushed to his feet and held out his hand. “Thanks very much for your time. I’m staying here until Sunday morning. If there’s anything you’d like to discuss, or more that you need to know, then ask. I’d appreciate it if you could let me know before I leave as to whether or not you’d like me to work on an offer.”
McAllister shook his hand. “You’llmake me an offer?”
