Seymour Hotels Centenary Magazine SPREADS - Flipbook - Page 15
Seymours
Through the
Decades
Seymours through the decades
A lot can change in 100 years and
holidays are no exception. Over
the past century, the world’s grown
smaller as international travel has
become more accessible. The ease of
hopping on a plane to somewhere
far flung, discovering fascinating
cultures, cuisine and customs would
be bewildering to the original guests
welcomed into Merton House. Here we
take a look at how our world and that
of hospitality and tourism has evolved
over the decades.
D
espite the Great Depression in the early thirties,
Seymour hotels continued to flourish. As demand
for beds increased and Jersey’s Tourism industry
began to establish itself, George and his father added
numerous extensions to their two hotels, including a
larger ballroom at the Merton Hotel.
In 1930 the Seymour family acquired the Pomme
d’Or Hotel and embarked on a complete renovation to
turn the dilapidated hotel into luxury accommodation,
diversifying the Seymour offering to cater for the higher
spending visitor.
This was the era of week-long holidays, with guests
arriving and departing on a Saturday – changeover day.
Having been greeted in person by George Frederick
and enjoyed his welcome speech at the Merton Hotel,
they would embark on a packed itinerary of excursions,
activities and evening entertainment. From sports days
and trips to the beach, to the firm favourite fancy-dress
party every Friday evening. Both the Pomme d’Or Hotel
and the Merton Hotel had a room dedicated to housing
all manner of fancy-dress costumes for guests to rummage
through and wear. Members of the Seymour family would
often join in on these excursions and activities, sparking
lasting friendships.
W
hen George and Ada first opened their guesthouse
in 1920, the only way to get to Jersey was by
mailboat. Travelling to this little island felt like
a fabulous adventure to a far-away place, involving not just
a train or bus but also a steamship. Jersey was the perfect
destination, offering the familiarity of somewhere English
but still abroad.
These ‘Roaring 20s’ were epitomised by the desire to live
life to the full. World War I had not long ended and a spirit
of joie de vivre resulted; to dance, laugh and celebrate life and
not take precious time for granted. George and Ada embraced
this opportunity and Seymour Hotels enjoyed an early
trading boom.
The Tourism offer of this era differed greatly from the
one we see today. This was pre-internet days so there was no
way of surfing the net to compare sites and plan itineraries.
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Visitors rarely booked their hotel or guesthouse before
arriving; instead they boarded the boat with the intention of
finding accommodation when they arrived. With only one
boat arriving each day, local hoteliers would wait harbourside
with the hope of attracting paying visitors as they stepped
onto shore. Being first in line as the boat docked, and able to
transport guests to your establishment easily, was vital.
This was the trigger for George to establish Mascot Motors
in 1923.
The addition of Mascot Motors, and subsequent securing
of the first coach bays at the harbour, was a brilliant
development for the business. Visitors simply hopped on
board the first coach they saw. Happy guests would also
pre-book their next holiday before leaving and recommend
Seymour hotels to their friends. The power of word of mouth
was immense and fundamental to early success.
E
ngland declared war in September 1939. The idea of
travelling to Europe became far less appealing and
Jersey was considered the ideal, safer holiday haven.
Guests were able to escape the realities of war but remain
close to home should circumstances change. Special flyers and
leaflets were printed to advertise Jersey as the ideal wartime
holiday destination and Seymour hotels continued to thrive.
Until June 1940.
On 1st July 1940, the first German soldiers arrived. The
Channel Islands were now officially occupied and leisure
travel ground to an immediate halt. The ‘guests’ that took
up residence in Seymour’s prized hotels were uninvited
intruders. With the hotels closed, commandeered by the Nazi
forces for their own purposes, the Seymour family could only
look on in distress, not able to cross the threshold for threat
of incarceration.
Five years of occupation took their toll on the properties.
After Liberation in May 1945, they were shells of their former
glory; damaged, with most of their contents plundered. The
Seymour family had to start over in rebuilding the business.
With a steely determination and many months of hard
work, the hotels re-opened for the summer 1946 season.
Loyal guests returned to shake off the effects of war and to
celebrate freedom.
Business flourished, with a little bit of help from cupid. The
post-war offering remained similar, with week-long escapes
and packed itineraries. But a new breed of visitor joined
the flourishing ranks … the romantics and the newlyweds.
Couples that had delayed their wedding or honeymoon while
the war raged were finally able to celebrate this new phase
of their lives and enjoy a romantic getaway, with the help of
a British tax provision. This provision allowed couples who
married before the 6th April (the end of the financial tax
year) to file a joint return for the entire previous year and
the money saved added the perfect sum to the honeymoon
holiday fund. George saw the potential and created a
newlywed package, paving the way for the next two decades
of tourism boom to the Island – Jersey, the Honeymoon Isle.
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