A STYLISH new look is taking shape at a Suffolk hotel and restaurant which is due to re-open later this month following major refurbishment work. The Woodbridge Crown, which was acquired by Thorpeness & Aldeburgh Hotels in May last year, will open its doors on July 20 under the management of Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient Stephen David.

A STYLISH new look is taking shape at a Suffolk hotel and restaurant which is due to re-open later this month following major refurbishment work.

The Woodbridge Crown, which was acquired by Thorpeness & Aldeburgh Hotels in May last year, will open its doors on July 20 under the management of Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient Stephen David.

And the hotel group has also brought together a team of award-winning designers - interior and graphic - to ensure that the revamp lives up to the quality of the food which had already gained a reputation before the Crown closed for the refit earlier this year.

Chelsea-based interior designer David Bentheim, whose clients include The Savoy Group, Wagamama and David Linley, has undertaken the renovation of the restaurant and the 10 luxurious, individually designed bedrooms.

The bar will even feature a boat suspended from the ceiling to mark the strong ties between the town of Woodbridge and the River Deben.

Meanwhile, Southwold-based creative agency Spring, whose clients include the Conservative Party, Dent Watches and Belvoir Cordials, has led the creation of a brand identity for the Crown, featuring a hand-rendered typographic logo intended to help the restaurant stand out from the many other “Crowns” in the market place.

James Kindred, creative director of Spring, said: “The text was hand written, not computer generated, to ensure that it was one of a kind. This eye-catching approach captures the character of the new restaurant, and we are delighted that the Crown's team took us up on this slightly off beat image.”

The brand identity appears across a full range of marketing and information material including signage, menus, the website, advertising and administrative documents.

The Crown, a 17th Century coaching inn, was previously owned by Greene King. Around 20 full and part time jobs have been created.