INTERVIEW

Staying at the top

It has been quite a year for the Idle Rocks. A brace of Golds in the South West Tourism Awards, as well as success in the coveted Trencherman’s Awards. We catch up with Karen Richards who, along with leading UK motorsport figure David Richards, has been running the hotel in St Mawes since 2013.

In your opinion, what are the main ingredients to running a successful hotel?

The Idle Rocks has gone from strength to strength every year. In my opinion, it’s down to our great staff - it’s all about our staff - and their training! We truly believe that The Idle Rocks cements St Mawes’ reputation as a desirable Cornish location, with the hotel widely considered as one of the region’s top luxury British retreats. The hotel offers guests a home-fromhome experience and has a simple yet welcoming style in an idyllic location.

To what extent are you blessed by your surroundings? When a hotel is located in such a stunning location, can there sometimes be a danger that it doesn’t have to “try too hard”? I wish! It’s quite the reverse, as expectations are extraordinarily high, and we must ensure we deliver.

Prior to buying the Idle Rocks, what experience did you have as a hotelier? No experience as a hotelier whatsoever.

Why did you move into the hotel business? What appealed about The Idle Rocks and St Mawes?

We have a home in the village and used to walk past the hotel every morning, lamenting what a shame it was that the hotel was ‘unloved’. It has a great harbourside location, central to the village, and my husband thought it would be an excellent project for me!

What have been the most significant changes you have made over the years? The hotel underwent a total refurbishment - going from 26 rooms to 20 - making fewer rooms but better sizes and great bathrooms. We have also chosen fabulous fabrics throughout the hotel and rooms to offer a coastal chic aesthetic. In 2021 we added The Reef Knot Retreat treatment room, which is tucked away on the upper floor of the hotel where guests can discover an array of bespoke wellness treatments to awaken the senses. As well as this, over the years, we have also built a great team of people to look after our guests.

When you have some time off, what are your favourite hotels to visit? We travel a lot for my husband’s business, so we love it when we can stay put in St Mawes – our favourite destination! To choose somewhere abroad, probably a quiet island in Greece.

When staying in other hotels, does it become something of a busman’s holiday for you? Are you always taking notes, looking and comparing etc? Always!! I am a terrible guest! I look at every detail - good and bad - continually making notes and taking photographs.

How have you emerged from the pandemic? What are the greatest challenges facing your industry at the moment? Is recruitment still one of the greatest issues? We have emerged from the pandemic with very strong forward bookings. We have a lot of repeat business and always look forward to welcoming our guests year on year. As with everybody else in the industry, the biggest challenge is recruitment. However, we have a very strong core team doing an excellent job.

You recently enjoyed great success in the tourism awards, how satisfying is this type of recognition? It is great for our team at the hotel to get recognition in their industry and to be publicly applauded. They all work very hard and it’s lovely to see that their commitment and dedication is recognised across the UK.

You also own the St Mawes Hotel, of course. In what way do the two hotels complement/differ from each other? St Mawes Hotel is The Idle Rocks ‘sister’ hotel. It has the same design thread running through it but offers a more casual dining experience. The menus at St Mawes Hotel include delicious Italian-style small plates, handmade pasta using the finest local seafood, and freshly baked Artisan pizzas. St Mawes Hotel also has a 25-seat state-of-the-art luxury Hidden Cinema, which is great for wet days and watching major sporting events. For special occasions or meetings, the Courtyard Room is the ideal private venue, with the capacity to cater for up to 40 guests and is perfect for parties or weddings. The St Mawes Hotel is very much the hub of the village and has a lively and informal feel without compromising taste and style. For guests visiting with dogs, the St Mawes Hotel has two Village View bedrooms where well-behaved dogs are most welcome to stay with their owners.

Widely considered as one of the region’s top luxury British retreats