Case studies
The Compleat Angler is hooked by the Mulberry Treatment.
For high quality hotels, first impressions are particularly important when trying to attract and retain custom. It is therefore vital that wherever possible the buildings are set within an attractive and well kept landscape. When The Compleat Angler – one of the UK’s most famous and prestigious hotels – needed a firm to transform the maintenance of its surroundings, it turned to Mulberry, the Oxfordshire-based company that specialises in landscape care.
Making changes
The hotel’s surroundings include areas of formerly laid out gardens (including a mixture of bedding plants and evergreen shrubs) as well as hedges, car parking areas and beautifully manicured lawns that sweep down to the river. However, two years ago the hotel started looking for a new landscape maintenance company. This was because it was unhappy with the level of care and attention that had been provided by the incumbent firm. The Compleat Angler’s General Manager, Gaius Wyncoll, explains: “Above all, we wanted a company that would pay attention to detail. They would need to provide a dedicated person on site on a weekly basis. We started searching for a firm that had the knowledge and resources required to provide constant coverage of the area and to make proposals that would enhance the overall image of the hotel.” He adds: “The price needed to be within our budget and we wanted to make sure that the new company could provide a better and more personal service than we had received previously. We heard about Mulberry from a mailshot, which they followed up with a phone call.”
The search for a suitable landscaper
Mulberry specialises in the provision of high quality exterior and interior landscape care, maintenance and design services for commercial and public organisations. The company has developed the ‘Mulberry Treatment’ – a complete, ‘one stop’ programme of care and maintenance that is tailored to each client’s individual needs. Mulberry’s Managing Director, Anthony Ussher, comments: “We recognise that the quality of a company’s surroundings will have an impact upon their corporate image. This is particularly true of hotels. We aim to make sure that all of our clients are portrayed in the best light possible, by maintaining the natural beauty of their landscapes.” He continues: “For The Compleat Angler, we knew that any proposal for the maintenance of the grounds would have to take into account the very high standards and levels of etiquette that make the hotel a unique and valued destination for its visitors. These include a large number of VIPs and celebrities.”
Mulberry was subsequently offered the landscape maintenance contract by The Compleat Angler. Gaius Wyncoll says: “We liked them because they were a fairly new and very enthusiastic company who were – and still are – keen to do a good job for the hotel. They presented us with a professional proposal that included photographs that highlighted the areas that needed improving. We were confident that they could do a better job at a similar price to the original company. We also liked their size – they weren’t too small and they weren’t too big!” Mulberry’s proposal included a range of suggestions for enhancing the care of the site. Anthony Ussher immediately assumed overall responsibility for both the site and the team, and makes regular visits to monitor the work as well as holding monthly meetings with the hotel to assess progress.
Making a difference
Gaius continues: “We are delighted with the high standards of Mulberry’s work. They have improved the overall standard of all the bedding areas. They have also enhanced the overall presentation of the hotel, with both a summer and winter bedding scheme. Both have received many compliments from our guests – and their opinion is most important at the end of the day. “Mulberry have made various suggestions for improving the landscape. They have re-designed the entrance to the new wing of the hotel, carried out a range of other renovation works and have also installed a new irrigation system. He concludes: “They provide us with an excellent, personal service with regular reviews to keep everything on track and to make sure that we are satisfied with what they are doing. We’re very happy and have no reason to look for anyone else to care for the exterior landscape of the hotel.”
The Macdonald Compleat Angler Hotel has an enviable reputation as both a hotel and restaurant. It is part of Macdonald Hotels, a family-owned group that has been named as the AA Hotel Group of the Year, 2007/08. Recently refurbished, it is set in an idyllic location, nestling on the banks of the River Thames across the bridge from the beautiful Buckinghamshire town of Marlow. Its Bowaters Restaurant is known for its fine cuisine and wines and has won two AA rosettes. The hotel itself has a total of 64 en suite bedrooms and also boasts excellent conference and wedding facilities.
