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Food & Drink - A work of art One of Southampton’s landmark hotels has undergone a dramatic refurbishment costing over £1m this summer which has made it a focal point for art lovers, tourists and business people alike. The Dolphin Hotel in High Street has been stylishly redesigned by its new owner Bob Musker with local architects and design house HPW. Hotel trade guru Bob Musker and business partner John Steven have pumped new life into the Dolphin, parts of which date back to the 14th century. Bob, 45, from Upper Shirley in Southampton, has worked in the hotel industry all his life. John, 47, is the founder of Wykeham Securities, but previously spent his entire career in the holiday and leisure industry. Bob said: “This is a very exciting time for us and for Southampton. The Dolphin will be totally refurbished, enhancing the beautiful architecture which already exists and we feel certain that our commitment to the arts and design-led interiors will appeal to a wide range of guests and visitors.” Bob is working on the unique Dolphin project with Southampton art organisation ‘a space’. It is headed by artist Pete Benham, who is dedicated to encouraging artistic talent in the region and will set up a working gallery at the Dolphin as part of a small retail development in a courtyard. ‘A space’ has more than 200 local artists on its books and this is a wonderful opportunity to provide art lovers in the Southampton area with a much-needed focal point. Phase one of the Dolphin redevelopment features state-of-the-art facilities in both senses. A 360-degree reception area will allow visitors to choose their room by experiencing a virtual tour on screen. They will see that every room will have its own artistic identity. Local artists are being commissioned to create a unique work of art on each bedhead and the whole development will be themed by an ambitious front-of-house creation to be displayed in reception. The new-look Dolphin will have 70 luxurious rooms equipped to the highest standard including flat screen televisions. The character of the building will even be reflected in the bathrooms, each of which will feature one seventieth of the front-of-house creation. Nineteen of these rooms were refurbished for the July launch and the rest of the hotel will be completed over the following nine months. Plans for the new site also include an ambitious new bar called Fruit, as well as a ‘village’ of individual shops, restaurants and bars due to open in the autumn. Tel: 023 8033 9955 Fax: 023 8033 3650 email: enquiries@thedolphin.co.uk |
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