Set in seven acres of Warwickshire countryside, the picturesque Elizabethan manor, run by Simon Evans, invested in creating the Stone & Ivy Restaurant and has also enhanced its corporate offer, which includes five function and conferencing suites.
Simon was able to access free business support and enlisted the help of Marie Stephenson, a business adviser at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, through Project Warwickshire.
Project Warwickshire forms part of the Business Growth Warwickshire programme. It is delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of Warwickshire County Council, and is funded by UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Warwickshire County Council.
Through direct one-to-one support, Marie helped the business to create a bespoke, targeted marketing plan in order to raise the profile of the hotel with potential clients.
The hotel was also given access to a LinkedIn workshop and has been supported to hone its own networking skills, which has seen it attending and hosting more events.
And, by taking all of the advice and support on board, the hotel has seen a marked increase in events – from conferences to meetings – being staged there, as well as corporate clients utilising the hotel for overnight stays.
Simon said: “We knew, especially after the investment in Stone & Ivy, that we’d got a great product here and we just needed more people to know about it in the business world.
“Marie was a huge help and, by taking on board the advice she gave us, we’ve been able to grow our corporate bookings. Having a fresh set of eyes on the hotel has been so helpful and we now feel much more visible to the business community.
“That help meant we could move forward with confidence in the ideas we had and to see those starting to come to fruition is great news for us but also for the local economy.”
Marie added: “I love historic buildings and you can feel all of the charm and atmosphere from the moment you arrive.
“In our one-to-one meetings, I helped Simon to explore a variety of marketing streams and tell the story to the business audience in order to heighten the profile of the hotel, which has so much to offer, so that it had an impact on bookings.
“It’s great to see the plan working and I know that we, as a Chamber, have staged many events here too such is the quality of the offer.”
Councillor Rob Howard, Portfolio Holder for Economy at Warwickshire County Council, said: “Project Warwickshire supports business in the hospitality sector, such as Weston Hall Hotel, to not only be resilient but to grow and thrive.
“Tailored support from Project Warwickshire has allowed Weston Hall Hotel to understand what they want to achieve and the steps they need to take to realise their goals. The support from the programme has helped Weston Hall Hotel to create a bespoke marketing plan, identify new audiences to support their growth goals and raise the profile of the hotel leading to an increase in corporate clients both using their facilities for conferences as well as for overnight stays.”
Councillor Nicky King, Portfolio Holder for Business and Regeneration at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said: “I am delighted that Simon and his team at The Weston Hall Hotel continue to show great creativity in building the business after accessing free business support, through Project Warwickshire. Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council are keen to promote the support available, funded by UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Warwickshire County Council, to all of its businesses. “
Project Warwickshire Business Support for Tourism, Leisure, Retail and Hospitality SMEs is funded by UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Warwickshire County Council. Responsibility for the planning and delivery of UKSPF was part of the Level 2 Devolution Deal secured by Warwickshire County Council in 2024. Warwickshire’s allocation of UKSPF is supporting a package of communities & place, business support, and people & skills activities in 2025/26.
To find out more about the programme and others available to your business, including eligibility please go to https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/business-support/
Pictured (left to right): Cllr Rob Howard (Warwickshire County Council), Simon Evans (Weston Hall Hotel), Heleni Lindsell (Warwickshire County Council), Carol Ingleston (Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council), Marie Stephenson (Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce).
