Chris Eigelaar, Resort General Manager at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, talks us through a day in his shoes as the venue prepares to host one of the major golf dates, the British Masters.
I live on-site four days a week, so I have the luxury of kickstarting my day with a walk to the resort’s gym at 6am. This is followed by a floor walk at 8am where I visit each department across the resort to catch up on the previous evening and discuss plans for the day ahead. With 22 meeting and event spaces; over 300 luxurious bedrooms and suites; several restaurants and bars; a leisure club and The Belfry Spa; as well as the hotel’s three golf courses; a floor walk is no mean feat!
Mid-morning sees our revenue and commercial meetings where we discuss future strategies for the hotel. These catch ups are particularly important at present, as we have secured significant funding for future development, work on which is starting imminently. Our customer-focused meeting with the team then looks for opportunities to ensure our leisure guests receive the best possible customer experience. A current initiative is our family Easter Egg hunt where guests can exchange coloured eggs they’ve found hidden around the resort for a prize every day during the Easter break.
Today, Sir Nick Faldo, MBE, was on-site to review the Brabazon Course ahead of hosting The 2023 Betfred British Masters in June. I joined him early afternoon as he considered alterations and assessed how the course will play. We then met with the wider operational and golfing team to discuss the event which will see more than 60,000 spectators descend on the venue. We also outlined the final aspects of a brand-new Halfway House which will boast a dedicated outdoor BBQ, catering for up to 72 people, with incredible views over the most iconic hole on The Brabazon. Before dinner service I meet with the Spa and Leisure team, to finalise the new Spring Awakening Spa Day package, which includes a 50-minute treatment, Fire and Ice Experience, full use of the spa facilities, and cream tea.
6pm sees the start of evening service at Ryder Grill, our AA 2 Rosette restaurant. Before service begins, I always spend time checking-in with our award-winning chefs and prized waiting staff ahead of the evening covers; this is a chance to debrief on our corporate meetings and events clients which were served throughout the day. Tonight, the first of our newly launched spring menu dishes leave the pass.
Before my working day ends, I set aside time to tackle my ever-full email inbox to answer resort-related queries as well as messages relating to our partner charities, which includes the Motor Neurone Disease Association. I send a congratulatory email to the team on yet another award win, this time for the West Midlands Tourism Awards Business Events Venue of The Year.
Around 8pm I begin the walk back to my room. The resort is surrounded by 550-acres of countryside so as the evenings lighten it provides a soothing way to wrap up a day well-spent, ready for another busy one tomorrow.