De Vere Wokefield Estate unveils £20m transformation

The 376-bedroom De Vere Wokefield Estate near Reading has completed a £20m refurbishment.

It is the latest property in the 22-strong De Vere portfolio of country estate hotels operated by Principal Hotel Company to undergo a major transformation, ahead of an expected rumoured sale of the group by its owner Starwood Capital Group.

Last month Starwood Capital sold its sister brand, Principal, along with two De Vere hotels for £858m to French company Foncière des Régions, which has since been renamed Covivio.

The transformation of De Vere Wokefield Estate, which is set in 250 acres of grounds and features an 18-hole golf course, has involved the restoration of the 87-bedroom Mansion House, which was originally built in the 1560s and then rebuilt in 1720. An additional 289 bedrooms in Wokefield Place and Wellington Lodge have also been refurbished.

The 90-seat 1560 Restaurant & Bar in the Mansion House, which will launch next month, will serve a British-inspired menu with dishes such as caramelised duck breast, salted ham hock terrine and local cheeses, alongside a range of craft beers, wines and cocktails.

A second restaurant, the View, is located in Wokefield Place, along with a new whiskey lounge and an outdoor pizza oven on the terrace. A spa with six treatment rooms will open in the coming weeks.

Peter Sangster, venue director at De Vere Wokefield Estate, said the transformation has "breathed new life" into the property: "We're delighted with the results of the refurbishment; the attention to detail and beautiful marriage of modern functionality with classic style is really quite breathtaking and we firmly believe we have created a property that caters perfectly for our guests, whatever their reason for visiting.

Principal hotels to split between three brands following sale by Starwood Capital >>

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