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Hoteliers in spotlight
The Blackpool hotel is flying the flag for the resort - and paving the way for the future.
If the name's not familiar, that's because until a few weeks ago The Blackpool was The Kenbarry on Albert Road, opposite the former lap dancing club Fallen Angels.
But brothers Rod and Shaun Smallwood (left) have made it their mission give the hotel the wow factor that Blackpool council is so keen on.
They are re-inventing the premises complete with the resort's first Parmesan restaurant and on site state-of-the-art beauty treatmemts.
What's more, the hotel is about to be featured in a forthcoming Channel 4 series called Hotel Confidential with a London-based production company following its progress over a sixmonth period.
The brothers are from the North East, Rod having grown up in the hair and beauty business, Shaun being a fitter by trade who had run a testing station and become a property developer.
"We are like chalk and cheese," said Shaun. "I thought I'd retired but we'd thought about doing something like this for years."
So Rod is the front of house man and Shaun is taking on the redevelopment (including making the furniture for the rooms which have so far been updated).
"It's our first time as hoteliers but between us we've done just about everything necessary," said Rod. "Combining the type of restaurant we are running and the beauty treatmemts we are providing puts us ahead of the pack we hope," said Rod.
"This hotel is not about stag and hen parties, it's about rest and relaxation, a break away from everything with quality food, quality beauty treatment and a relaxing atmosphere.
"We want our guests to leave us feeling younger and healthier, not hungover and dreadful. We are aiming at the 30 and upwards market – people who want to take care of themselves with pampering."
Not that there won't be in-house entertainment. The hotel does boast a basement dance and cabaret area with its own bar.
"But our restaurant is the only one of its kind in the area – healthy foods at a decent price. In the North East, Parmesan restaurants are as popular as fish and chips are in Blackpool."
After 15 years working in health and beauty on cruise ships, he admits he's glad to be back on land.
"It's a long process updating all the rooms though," he said. "With 32 of them it will take us the next couple of years before everything is how we would like it to be."
They started their project last September and, says Shaun, wondered for a while if they'd done the right thing.
"It was in a terrible state when we arrived but we decided from the start that if we were going to to do it, we would be doing it right," he said. "We could have settled for a normal hotel restaurant but we wanted to be different, we didn't need to do the beauty treatment but we wanted to provide a service no one else was doing."
As for the recession, they both agree they never took it into consideration.
"We must have looked at over 100 hotels and other businesses from Christmas to May last year," said Shaun. "But we wanted somewhere that we could do the food and the beauty sides and sustain the business throughout the year."
As to whether Blackpool diners quite know what a Parmesan restaurant is, Rod says: "Probably not but if they are inquisitive and want to try something new they'll find out. It's simple food, tasty and enjoyable with no hassle."
For more about The Blackpool Hotel and its facilities, contact (01263) 623261 or email info@kenbarryhotel.co.uk
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
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Temperature: 3 C to 7 C
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