Luxury hotel, spa and golf club with a bold and sustainable vision.

Bespoke refurbishment of the Grade II* Listed Matfen Hall Hotel to become a five-star destination including kitchen relocation, fire and life safety upgrades, plant room modifications, and most notably enclosing the open courtyards into an event space at the heart of the hotel.  Highlights include the well-coordinated, hidden services throughout. 

Following new ownership in 2020, Matfen Hall underwent a major refurbishment. The initial masterplan covered the hotel, golf course, and spa ensuring power, heat, and water supply, along with the integration of suitable technologies. 

The project’s timeline was accelerated due to the COVID-19 closure, requiring efficiency and coordination across overlapping planning and execution stages. The refurbishment then unfolded in four phases to keep the hotel operational. This included upgrading the fire safety systems, the complex relocation of a commercial kitchen to the basement, appropriate control of the heating system, full refurbishment of bedrooms and bathrooms and the enclosure of the upper and lower courtyards.

The newly developed courtyard features a bar, dining space, and breakout areas, designed to maintain an outdoor feel with natural ventilation achieved through passive vents with temp and CO2 sensors. Careful specification of the glass roof and the thermal mass of the building prevent overheating. A nearby stone stairwell, with high-level openings, serves as a thermal store that pre-cools the air before it enters the courtyard, ensuring a comfortable environment during the summer months.

Enclosing the courtyard made the existing basement oil boilers unusable. They were replaced with heat exchangers connected to an energy center via district heating pipes routed under the building, which provide renewable heat sources.

Hidden services were seamlessly integrated throughout, including underfloor heating, embedded lighting, and concealed plumbing, accentuating the elegance of the spaces. 

Matfen Hall’s refurbishment successfully integrates sustainable practices and cutting-edge technologies, revitalising its luxury offerings and enhancing operational efficiency while preserving its historic charm.