The luxury hotel group was established 22 years ago with the first hotel acquired – Rowhill Grange Hotel, in Wilmington, Kent.
The group is an umbrella to a luxury collection of boutique, country-house and spa hotels situated near London.
The group was founded by Peter and Deborah Hinchcliffe, who today run three luxury boutique hotels within the Alexander Hotels group; Langshott Manor, Rowhill Grange and Alexander House.
The property
Deborah has a keen eye for interior design. She designs each of the vibrant, prestigious schemes solely without the assistance of an interior designer. Peter and Deborah have been fortunate enough to travel worldwide over the years where the couple gained a vast experience of knowledge in the hotel and hospitality industry.
The third hotel to be purchased by the couple was Alexander Hotel, located in the heart of Sussex amongst 120 acres of gardens and grounds. It is Alexander Hotels’ largest property with 58 bedrooms, 19 Cedar Lodge Suites and a two-bedroom luxury gatehouse.
When the couple purchased Alexander House it was vitally important that they maintained the original character and charm of the building. Antiques adorned the property and they wanted to capture the essence of the historic items within their design concept.
“I believe that interior design, when in a hotel, should appeal to your market; it should appeal to all but with individual character, it should not look out of place with the age of the building,” explained Deborah.
Any visitor to an Alexander Hotel will see that there are similarities in design across all three properties. However, each property has a unique history and an individual personality which Peter and Deborah have enhanced with their design schemes.
With Deborah’s enjoyment of uncluttered open spaces, her personal style is exemplified through her interior scheme at Alexander House. “I feel strongly that my personal style and experiences from travel have reflected on my design schemes for Alexander House. I very much enjoy using luxury fabrics to enhance texture and I’ve also been known to enjoy flashes of bright colours.”
The colour palette for Alexander House is very much natural with flashes of bright colours, enhanced with soft furnishings, which makes Alexander House a place where guests can feel truly at home and comfortable within their surroundings. The soft natural colours bring a sense of calmness and relaxation, whereby the flashes of colour add a segment of excitement to a guest’s experience.
Guests to Alexander House will see that the external fabric of Cedar Lodge is cedar cladding. This was a specific requirement to help the lodge blend with its natural environment. Although a vast building in structure, it has a very subtle impact on the original house and landscape. The Cedar Suites are larger than industry standards with a strong element of space and light. Each bathroom suite houses a two-person bathtub. The couple were keen to use different shapes and textured wallpapers to help the sensual aspects of the suites.
Fabulous fabrics
Deborah makes regular visits to the Design Centre, in Chelsea Harbour, which she found “a great platform, both creatively and commercially,” for textile options. Many fabrics found within the scheme at Alexander House are from textile suppliers Zoffany, Today Interiors, Manuel Canovas and Brian Yates.
“Alexander House is a showcase of fabrics and I love seeing these being enjoyed by our guests. When guests choose to stay at Alexander House, they want to experience something that they won’t necessarily receive anywhere else and our choice of textiles only means to enhance this experience.”
When designing the spa concept for Alexander House it was important that the couple introduced a wide variety of water features. “The definition of spa is a mineral spring considered to have health-giving properties, and I feel strongly that this is a key ingredient to a luxury spa.”
The Utopia Spa at Alexander House was launched in 2006. The original concept for the Utopia Spa was a Mediterranean basement swimming area with key architectural features. It was important to seamlessly blend the hotel to the spa. The couple were keen to have a pool with no windows. Peter and Deborah worked with a very natural colour palette to enhance the Grecian themed pillars and marble floors.
Functional seasonal changes are undertaken to enhance guest’s experiences at Alexander House. Quilts are changed seasonal, with a higher-tog in the winter, and lower-tog in the summer. The bedding in all Alexander Hotels is Egyptian cotton which gives a year-round usability.
When designing an interior scheme Deborah starts with a scheme and inspiration shortly follows. “Inspiration usually comes from a painting, photograph or the landscape, and from there the concept grows. My husband – like many out there, I’m sure – very often comments that I always find a taste for expensive items!”
When designing an interior scheme for a luxury hotel Deborah advises: “Firstly, understand the market you are targeting – what are their requirements? What do they enjoy? Take time to understand the uses of fabrics for the environment they are intended for, and be aware of the orientation of the sun on your property.
“A luxury hotel is all about the way it makes a guest feel – on arrival, during their stay and when they depart. Interior design offers a strong base to assist with this, we focus hard on providing some home comforts to make an experience luxurious; from roaring log fires in the winter, to al fresco dining in the summer.”