Seymour Hotels Centenary Magazine SPREADS - Flipbook - Page 32
Let’s Raise a
Glass to the
Seymour Women
Throughout the 100 years of Seymour Hotels history,
there is one element that can’t be overlooked: the impact
the Seymour women have had on the Group’s success.
The first of these incredible women was Adelina Beatrice.
O
n the boat back to England at
the end of their honeymoon,
Ada turned to her husband and
famously said: “Huh, I can do better
than that.” This simple statement,
referring to their guesthouse stay and
experience, coupled with the love the
pair already felt for the Island would
ignite the dream and then flourish into
reality. In truth, if it were not for Ada,
George might never have made the
move to Jersey and opened the Merton
House.
However, Ada’s role within the
business extended much further than
simply inspiring the guesthouse.
She worked alongside George to
ensure everything remained in tip
top condition. Ada felt the pressure
increase over those first 10 years as
the guesthouse expanded, eventually
moving to Belvedere Hill and
transforming into the Merton Hotel,
and as they purchased and completely
renovated the dilapidated Pomme d’Or
Hotel in 1930. On top of all of this, Ada
and George successfully raised their
seven children.
It was watching George and Ada’s
first guesthouse and dream become a
reality that inspired Mary Ann, George’s
mother, to do the same alongside her
husband, and George’s father, George
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Andrew. The pair, who had retired to
Jersey, bought Kalimna Hall in 1920. It
wasn’t long until the doors opened, and
it became known as the Portelet Hotel.
Father and son joined forces to create
the Seymour Hotels Group we know
today, and the Portelet Hotel became
one of their flagship properties until it
closed its doors in 2008.
In 1940, the Seymour Hotels Group
suffered a horrendous setback as the
German Occupation of Jersey stalled
the family’s plans. Over the five years
of war, instead of bustling around the
hotels, Ada found her hands full as she
tried to keep her family together and
out of mischief. Certainly, no mean feat.
But she managed and was rewarded
with an enormous challenge. Following
the Island’s Liberation in May 1945,
George and Ada faced the mammoth
task of restarting the business. Their
heroic efforts over the summer and
winter months ensured the hotels were
ready to re-open within the year, and
so they entered the next phase of their
lives.
As the business expanded over the
following years, the amount of work
needed to keep the hotels increased.
So, in 1954 and not long after marrying
Robin Seymour, Rita joined the
company and eventually became the
General Manager of the La Plage Hotel.
It was under Rita’s guidance – and
with Robin by her side – that the site
underwent a complete redevelopment.
In 1963, Lawrence and Gillian Seymour
joined Rita and the hotel reopened
as the Hotel de la Plage, Jersey’s
premier four-star hotel. Knowing it
was in safe hands, Rita started to hand
over the reins of managing the hotel
before leaving to start the Group’s
Housekeeping Department.
Rita’s role within the newly created
Housekeeping department was to
ensure that all five hotels sustained
the same high standards. This was
no small task and went far beyond
making sure the rooms were clean and
free of dust. In partnership with the
all-important Group Maintenance
Department, this role involved
everything from the careful choosing
and purchasing of linen, fabrics, carpets,
furniture and light fittings among
many other items to redecorating and
refurbishing as necessary. The Group
also provided accommodation for the
many staff across three purpose-built
lodging houses together with various
management properties. Overseeing
these was a key item on Rita’s task list.
It wasn’t long before Gillian
transferred to the Housekeeping
Department as Rita’s assistant, and
eventually Tina also joined the team.
Through her role as Rita’s assistant,
Tina was able to reconnect with her
childhood sweetheart, David Seymour.
The pair’s friendship blossomed into
romance, they married, and Tina
became an official member of the
Seymour family. To this day, Tina
remains actively involved in the dayto-day running of the business as a
Director, following in her mother-inlaw’s footsteps as she leads the Group
Housekeeping Department.
Sue, George’s granddaughter and
Robin and Rita’s daughter, joined the
company in 1997 as Human Resources
Director. A highly respected HR
Professional, Sue helped make sure
the staff were always – and still are
– at the heart of the Seymour Hotels
offering as the Group continued to
grow. Currently a Director, her artwork
can also be seen on the walls of the
Belvedere Restaurant at the Merton
Hotel.
Whereas some couples and families
aren’t able to talk about their jobs and
any problems they are facing when
they get home, either due to disinterest
or confidentiality agreements, the
Seymour family are able to talk things
through. In fact, they struggle to keep
business talk away from the dinner
table!
Acting under the overall view of the
Managing Director, everyone has their
own responsibilities and keeps control
of their area without “interference”
from other members of the family
which is crucial. Despite inevitable
crossover between roles, there is always
respect for each member no matter age
or position within the family. Perhaps
this is why the blending of family and
business has worked so well?
Above all, the key ingredients are a
passion for providing holidays full of
happy memories for guests and locals
alike, and the women who have helped
to blend the business and family unit so
successfully.
Join us as we raise a glass to the
Seymour women who have helped
guide us through the past 100 years
and continue to provide a leading light
as we head towards the future with
confidence.
To see all of the Seymour women
who have played a part, take
a look at our Seymour Hotels
Family Tree on page 26.
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