Seymour Hotels Centenary Magazine SPREADS - Flipbook - Page 6
100 years of
happy memories 1923
1940
1946
Seymour Hotels re-open for the 1946 holiday
season. Start of Jersey’s transformation into
Honeymoon Island with the Merton Hotel
affectionately labelled Honeymoon Hotel.
P56
WWII
MERTON
HOTEL
1995 - 2005
HONEYMOON ISLAND
REINVESTING
Massive reinvestment and
refurbishments of public
areas across the whole
Seymour Hotels portfolio
including new bedroom
wing, restaurant & Atrium at
the Merton and new façade
to Pomme d’Or Hotel.
1920 2020
Outgrowing Merton House, the
business moves to Belvedere Hill to
create today’s popular Merton Hotel.
P18
MASCOT MOTORS
In 1919, newlyweds George and Ada
Seymour honeymoon in Jersey.
P7
1920
MERTON
HOUSE
George and Ada purchase a fivebedroom and one-bathroom guesthouse
in Halkett Place, naming it Merton
House after the London Borough where
George grew up. Leasing buildings
either side added 25 more bedrooms.
P7
Coach company Mascot Motors
established to meet visitors from
the harbour who hadn’t booked
accommodation and run popular
island-wide excursions. Expanded in
1963 to include hire cars. P32
1930
NEW
BEGINNINGS
SILVER SERVICE
George Andrew and Mary Ann
Seymour (George’s parents) are inspired
to come out of retirement and purchase
Kalimna Hall, creating the silver service
Portelet hotel.
P24
Dining
Room ‘30
1945
LIBERATED
Pomme d’Or Hotel added to the
Group. George and Ada’s son
Robin is born in the hotel in
1931.
P34
1921
Hitler’s forces arrive.
Pomme d’Or Hotel becomes
Kriegsmarine HQ, Portelet
Hotel the Luftwaffe Billet
and the Merton Hotel
converts to a hospital.
Silverware buried in the
garden to avoid requisition!
P36
Pomme d’O
r Carriag
e
Jersey liberated on 9th May
with the ‘Jack’ flag raised
for the first time in five
years from Pomme d’Or
balcony. George and Ada
start rebuilding the business,
digging up the silverware
and scouring the Island for
missing furniture.
1952
ROBIN & RITA
Current Chairman - Robin, now
22 years old and just back from
studying in Lausanne, joins the
Seymour Group shortly
followed by his wife Rita
after they married in 1954. P7
1955
EN-SUITE
BATHROOMS
The first en-suite bathrooms are
installed at Portelet Hotel – however,
each had two doors: one to the
bedroom and one to the corridor so if
the bedroom was unlet, the bathroom
could revert to shared use!
P24
1963
HIGH
STANDARDS
The Hotel de la Plage, initially
acquired in 1948 re-opens as an
AA 4* standard hotel following
renovation and extension. P42
1972
LE COIE
HOTEL
The Le Coie Hotel is added
to the group. The third
largest hotel in the Island
accommodating 500 guests in
300 bedrooms, the Merton hotel
now the largest in the Channel
Islands.
P46
DAVID
& TINA
1981
Current Managing Director,
David joins the group taking a
position at the Pomme d’Or hotel.
David reconnects with childhood
sweetheart Tina and they
marry soon after.
P50
MAKING
WAVES
1991
WATERSPLASH
The popular Watersplash
is purchased - an iconic
waterfront diner that is a
focal point of surfing in the
Island. In 2018, the diner
receives Plastic Free status
from Plastic Free Jersey.
GREENHILLS
ACQUIRED
2009
17th Century Farmhouse
Greenhills Country House
Hotel is acquired and
refurbished to offer luxury in
a tranquil and rural setting.
CENTENARY
CELEBRATIONS
2020
Merton Aquadome opens - Jersey’s
first indoor flume and waterpark.
In 2008, the first Flowrider in the
UK is installed. P18
To read the full timeline,
visit www.seymour100.com
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