Welcome to my first BLOG! With summer out of the way, I want to know who said, it was downhill to Christmas and the New Year!

This is just the start of busy changing times with a new General Manager, Paul Reed starting this week. Fresh from London, he’s hoping for a quieter life in Devon – little does he know that it’s never quiet at the Grand! Another recent addition is our Head Chef, Gareth Judge. He has a wealth of experience gained through working with the likes of Marco Pierre White and members of Royalty. He has already revamped our Gainsborough Restaurant menu, which is being well received by guests!

The ‘buzz’ word around the hotel at the moment is fertility, with 2 babies already this year, 4 expected by Christmas, and 2 in the New Year, I am certainly watching what chair I sit on and seriously considering opening a nursery to get those mums back to work!!

We are also told that all of our rooms are to be refurbished over the next 12 months – we are very well organised for minimal disruption to the rest of hotel, which is great news for the guests and us! The end result being sparkling, classically modern rooms, suitable for the best hotel in the bay!

I have also been busy this week putting together a ‘Green Team’ to address our carbon footprint. We already purchase local produce, recycle our rubbish and are now looking to reduce energy waste …. Of course you realise my biggest challenge is going to be persuading our owner, Mr Richardson, to trade in his 6 litre Rolls Royce for a more practical hybrid car ….. and I haven’t even attempted to broach the subject of flying … since he has just obtained his pilots licence and is talking of landing his new helicopter right outside the Hotel!!

Well I think that is enough excitement for a debut blog. I’ll keep you posted on more changes happening here in Torquay, later in the week.