Hotham Hall, set in 117 acres of East Yorkshire parkland, hosts its corporate launch next week after a multi-million-pound restoration

A privately owned Georgian country estate in East Yorkshire is setting its sights on the corporate market, with a public launch on Wednesday 7 October.

Hotham Hall Estate will open from 2pm to 9pm to showcase what owners Linda and David Kilburn CBE describe as a destination for board meetings, conferences, executive stays, team days, client entertaining and Christmas celebrations. Everyone is welcome.

The launch follows a multi-million-pound restoration and development programme. Central to it is the newly restored Georgian Stable, which can seat 120 guests or accommodate 250 theatre-style for conferences and presentations. The grounds can take marquees for up to 450, while a dedicated festival field opens the way for larger company celebrations and product launches. For smaller, more confidential gatherings, the rooms of the Hall itself are available for board meetings, leadership retreats and private dining.

Accommodation runs to 13 new en-suite bedrooms in the Stable Block, furnished with antiques, and five historic en-suite rooms within the Hall.

"We wanted to create the sort of place where somebody organising a board meeting, conference or company event thinks, 'Why would we go back to an ordinary hotel when we could come here?'" said Linda Kilburn.

"Businesses invest an enormous amount in bringing their people together. The setting should be part of that investment."

She also sees the estate as an alternative to the conventional business hotel for visiting executives and overseas clients. With York, Leeds and Hull within easy reach, and the M62 close by, the estate is well placed for companies across the county.

Among the early corporate users is law firm Wilkin Chapman Rollits, which held its merger drinks reception there in the spring. Pat Coyle, the firm's marketing and business development consultant, said the venue suited the firm's brand and its clients' expectations, adding that guests had praised both the setting and the relaxed, efficient service.

Ms Kilburn's ambition is plain: a Christmas party, she said, should be "something people are still talking about in January."



For further information about Hotham Hall Estate, please visit www.hothamhallestate.com or contact Rachel Waugh at rachel.waugh@hothamhallestate.com or on 07717 669466.