New facility at Ipswich property will have five double treatments rooms for massage and other forms of pampering.
Owner Paul Milsom said he is in the “process of making the final arrangements” before building work can start on a new spa that will be separate from the main hotel and located on land to the right as guests enter the grounds of the property.
“The intention is that this will not be a big membership business but a day spa,” he said.
“We have included double treatment rooms because going for treatments with a friend, your partner or your mother is one of the growth markets for spas.
Packages
“It’s not aimed wholly at the female market because lots of males go to spas, and sports massage is big but we expect our customers to be predominantly from the female market. It will be perfect for hen parties, away days and special celebrations.”
He added: “Parties will be able to use the sun-deck and hot tub after their treatments and have food brought up from the main hotel- we will be building packages around these types of options.”
Mr Milsom said the new spa - costing between £1.2m - 1.4m - should be finished by November, if all goes to plan. He said if the spa proves a success he may consider a second phase of development to build a steam room, sauna and gym although planning permission would have to be obtained first.
Kesgrave Hall Hotel is one of a number of properties in the Milsom Hotel and Restaurant Group, which also includes Milsoms and Le Talbooth in Dedham and the Pier in Harwich.
Scale
Mr Milsom said that while most of his properties would be difficult to expand because of their location and the space available, at Kesgrave Hall, which is set in 38 acres of woodland and lawns, “there is much more land available and an opportunity to change the scale”.
One idea he has been considering is an expansion of the hotel, which currently has 23 bedrooms, to a 50-room property. This would involve the construction of an adjoining property to the right of the main hotel with balconies overlooking the front lawn,
Kesgrave Hall, a Grade II-listed Georgian mansion, has at various times been a shooting lodge, a billet for RAF officers and a boarding school before being purchased as a joint venture between Paul Milsom and Jonathan Hills, of the Hills Building Group, around ten years ago. Since then, the owners have extended the hotel, added meeting rooms and converted the old school gym into the popular Hangar party area.
Location
He said the property’s position close to Ipswich and Adastral Park at Martlesham and near to the A12, allowing easy access from north and coastal Suffolk, offered the possibility of further development.
“It’s completely changed since we first opened in 2008 and with its great location there is demand for the spa and more rooms,” added Mr Milsom.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here