Cairn Group gives York's Elmbank hotel £5m makeover

The Cairn Group has invested £5m in a complete refurbishment of York's Elmbank hotel.

All areas of the Cairn Group-owned 19th century building have been given an Art Nouveau and equestrian-inspired look, referencing the building's original Art Nouveau features and the nearby racecourse.

In the main house where 38 of the 61 bedrooms reside, deluxe rooms have been created including expansions and new-look interiors; while additional rooms in the Lodge adjacent to the hotel have been refurbished.

The restaurant has become Leetham's Brasserie, offering classic dishes with a Yorkshire twist such as Black Sheep battered Whitby cod with chips, mushy peas, tartare sauce and scraps, as well as peanut butter ‘Kit-Kat', chocolate sorbet and ‘Aero'.

The interior design of the restaurant centres around a feature Jacobean fireplace dating back to 1750, while its neighbouring Peacock bar has a marble topped bar centrepiece. There is also an outdoor patio known as the Botanical Garden for al fresco dining and drinks, with views of the hotel's garden.

Tina O'Hara, group director of sales at Cairn Group said: "The group has a long-standing history in York having been in the city for 22 years, so this is a huge project for us with great significance. Our goal is to be the best boutique hotel here."

The hotel has joined the Cairn Collection, Cairn Group's portfolio of signature properties, and will become the north's first MGallery property in January 2020.

Newcastle-based Cairn Group owns and operates 33 hotels and more than 30 bars and restaurants across the UK and is set to launch its new Treehouse Hotels brand in partnership with Starwood Capital Group at the end of the year.

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