Seymour Hotels Centenary Magazine SPREADS - Flipbook - Page 12
THE Seymour JOURNEY
There used to be weekly beach
games during the Summer months
the Seymours remarkably
opened the hotels for the
season in April 1946.
Robin and Rita’s memories
of those years after the
war and into the 1950s are
ones filled with fun and
laughter. “Everybody enjoyed
themselves. The Island was
packed with entertainment,
not just at our sites but
around every corner. Visitors
were always entertained.
When I first came here,
everybody was just so
happy,” explains Rita. “They
didn’t expect more in those
days, because they hadn’t had
it. They had gone through
the shortages of the war, and
they were genuinely grateful
for anything. The war had
almost given them a new
perspective.”
Robin continues, “The
holidaymakers and newlymarried honeymooners
visiting our shores had just
come out of five years of
serious warfare. The effect of
World War II on the British
people was deep and intense,
and they were absolutely
delighted to get out of it.”
Looking back now, the
part of their history that
truly stands out for Robin
and Rita was the post-war
boom. “The admiration
we have for what George
and Ada accomplished in
that year is huge. Tackling
the task of rebuilding and
starting from scratch cannot
be underestimated. It was a
mammoth task. They rose
from the ashes. They had
the buildings, but they had
no business, no staff and no
money.”
The Seymours proved
themselves to be naturalborn hoteliers, with grit and
determination getting them
through every setback. Robin
inherited this gene and knew
he would play a role in the
family business. Graduating
from Lausanne, Robin
joined the Seymour Hotels
Group in 1952 as a Junior
Manager at the Merton.
One of his first tasks was
pushing single beds together
to make double beds for the
honeymooners who by now
were coming to the Island in
their droves (more on that
story on page 56).
Robin feels strongly
that the Seymour Group
wouldn’t be where it is today
without the women who
have played such significant
roles from the start.
First Ada and his
grandmother Mary Ann,
then his wife, Rita. The pair
first met when Rita visited
the Island with Robin’s
sister Anne. They parted
at the end of the holiday
and swiftly struck up a
long-distance relationship.
Rita was also a hotelier, her
parents running the former
Garrick Hotel in London,
so she was the perfect
addition to the family. Robin
proposed in 1953, the couple
were married in 1954, and
Rita immediately began
to work for the group as a
Receptionist at the Hotel de
la Plage.
The pair held many
positions across various
properties in the business
before settling into their
roles at Head Office; Robin
as joint Managing Director
with his father, George, and
Rita as Group Housekeeping
Director. Both remain
actively involved in the
business today with Robin
as Chairman and Rita as a
Director.
To this day, they still hold
the lessons George and Ada
taught close to their hearts.
“As well as work ethic and
integrity, they were strongly
committed to their staff.
George and Ada looked after
the staff very well. One great
example was Wally Perkins.
Wally started with them at
Merton House in Halkett
Place, made the move to the
Merton Hotel, became Head
Chef and held that post until
he retired.”
“Seymour Hotels is a
business, and we’re hoteliers
at our core. But our business
is all about our people.
How you treat others is key
to success, and we never
take anyone for granted,”
says Robin.
Tax free shopping is
where the story begins
From epic life events, to an island break treat, our experienced
team are here to help you pick the special piece that will
tell a memorable story for generations to come.
1 King Street, St Helier, Jersey T 01534 734491
www.hettich.co.uk
100 years into the Seymour story, the focus on staff and building lasting
relationships with suppliers and guests is the foundation of the family’s success.
Robin and Rita took on and successfully wrote the next chapter of George and Ada’s dream.
Now it’s for the fourth and fifth generations to drive the business forward.
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