DE VERE Tortworth Court in Wotton-under-Edge held a relaunch event for their impressive £5m renovation on Thursday evening.

Guests mingled on the lawn with champagne and canapes, enjoying the afternoon sun, while listening to a harpist.

General Manager Mark Payne, who has been with the hotel for six and a half years, was on hand to answer any questions. But he was rather overshadowed by the hotel’s cat Tortworth stealing food, pats and cuddles.

The stray, who apparently has his own Facebook page, turned up four years ago and never left.

“The cat has more friends than me,” Mark admitted.

When Mark managed to draw attention away from the hotel pet, the facts were impressive. The hotel only started refurbishment last November, but in that time 44 of the original rooms in the main house have been totally gutted and redone, and 11 new bedrooms were created.

Grand suites have been formed, with the most impressive, The Kipling, spanning 78 square metres and offering private family dining space.

While the transformation has been dramatic, they have been careful to preserve many of the Victorian features of the Grade II listed mansion.

Thematic décor such as quaint-looking phones, typewriters and radios have been added to compliment the original lofty ceilings and large bay windows.

Mark explained: “It was important to us to blend modern comfort with the hotel’s history and I believe we have done this successfully, both internally and externally across the estate.

“The introduction of large suites allows guests to indulge and live some of the grandeur that the original earls would have enjoyed,” he added.

But alongside the luxurious smell of new leather, contemporary guests also enjoy state-of-the-art bathrooms and superfast free Wi-Fi.

After local supplier 6 O’clock Gin presented ‘How to pour the perfect G&T,’ launch guests were taken on guided tours around the hotel’s vast facilities.

Meetings and Events Co-ordinator Stacey Morgan explained how their main meeting space, the Westminster suite, was intentionally a “blank canvas.” The room can be discretely partitioned into four separate segments and also has many break-out spaces. The improvements can only add to their current reputation as a top-class conference venue.

A new gym and treatment rooms have been added to the fresh-looking spa, while the estate’s 30 acres have been perfectly maintained.

But perhaps the highlight of the hotel tour is still the Victorian Orangery, which just has ‘wedding’ written all over it.

Stacey points out the stone love heart panelling on the windows, which seem very apt.

“I think it was always meant to be a venue of love,” she said.

A new restaurant in the old church is still to come, with the current library dining area to become a specialist whisky bar. If the standard of current renovations is anything to go by, these spaces will be spectacular.

As part of the celebrations, Manager Mark presented a cheque to their partner charity Above and Beyond. The hotel’s ongoing fundraising events assist the charity to provide better services for the 1m patients who pass through Bristol’s University Hospitals each year. The money goes towards improving the environment for patients and their visitors, funding research and life-saving equipment, as well as staff training.

In his speech, Mark talked about how touching it was for him personally to host sick children and their families at the hotel for a cake decorating day.

“It was all about seeing them out of the hospital environment,” he explained.

“We spent a whole day making lots of mess.

“It’s an event that will stay with me for a long time.”

A memorable night at Tortworth Court starts from £149, with suites from £249 per room per night, based on double occupancy. Visit DeVere.com/DeVereTortworthCourt.