Success stories

Shaping Standout Stays – With a Bit of TLC

At TLC, we’ve worked with a wide range of businesses - from food production companies, vineyards and heritage centres to country house estates, pubs and boutique holiday lets. Here are just a few of our success stories…

Text that reads 'The Highworth' in yellow cursive font on a dark green background.

Highworth Hotel

Challenge: A tired Georgian property in the Cotswolds with low occupancy and no clear market position.

What we did:

  • Grew turnover by over £400k dropping over £200k to the bottom line and trading profitably 

  • Achieved 92% peak occupancy and 72% annual average

  • Rebranded: new logo, website, and full digital presence

  • Launched new revenue streams: exclusive weddings, events, and catering

  • Designed and implemented bespoke business management system

  • Delivered exceptional margins: F&B GPs from <30% to 76%, Rooms GPs to 89%

  • Built new function rooms, a garden bar and BBQ outlet and a restored kitchen garden

  • Delivered two AA rosettes for fine dining

Result: A profitable, award-winning destination hotel with outstanding occupancy and a premium reputation.

Visit The Highworth Hotel

Multi-story historic brick building with white-framed windows, a green door, and decorative stone accents, set against a dark background.
A dark blue background with a gold silhouette of a centaur archer and the word 'BOWOOD' in gold below.

Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort

Challenge: A high-end Wiltshire resort underperforming across key departments and at risk of losing its AA rating.

What we did:

  • Recovered from AA warning to 82% Four-Star rating with 2 Rosettes

  • Improved resort financials to the tune of six figures on top line sales

  • Delivered 69–70% GPs in food and liquor and reduced wage costs to 38%

  • Introduced a premium self-catering concept in the Estate Lodge House and 2 new spa treatments rooms in the Hotel, delivering six figure growth in sales.

  • Repositioned offering with events: cocktail nights, gourmet dining, Lady Lansdowne lunches

  • Directed sales strategy across weddings, corporate, golf and festive markets

  • Integrated systems across C&B, F&B, and Spa to improve profitability and stock control

  • Chaired weekly and monthly board meetings with Lord Lansdowne, directors and stakeholders

  • Responsibility for the resort rate strategy for MICE, Golf and leisure markets

Result: A re-energised, revenue-optimised luxury resort delivering outstanding guest experience and financial performance.

Visit Bowood Estate

A grand historic building with classical architecture, featuring a central entrance with columns, steps leading up to it, and surrounded by manicured gardens and tall shrubs.
Minimalist logo design featuring a dark green irregular shape with light pink and orange watercolor accents, displaying the text 'The Plough Shiplake' in elegant, script, and serif fonts.

The Plough Shiplake

Challenge: A countryside restaurant with premium potential but inconsistent performance, limited local awareness, and operational inefficiencies.

What we did:

  • Elevated TripAdvisor food ranking from 17th to 5th in Henley-on-Thames (out of 69 venues) via proactive online reputation management

  • Reduced energy costs by 51% through renegotiated supplier contracts

  • Commissioned new website and launched a 12-month PR strategy to build national awareness and establish a standout brand narrative

  • Audited and optimised purchasing and costing processes, achieving double-digit growth in food and beverage gross profit margins

  • Introduced a bespoke front-of-house training handbook to raise service standards and unify team approach

  • Mentored senior leadership to embed a culture of accountability, confidence, and commercial focus

Result: A revitalised venue with a fast-rising reputation, stronger financials, and the foundations to become one of the UK’s top regional restaurants.

Visit The Plough Shiplake

the plough shiplake pub restaurant
Logo for Balmer Lawn Hotel & Spa featuring two white stags, a shield with a leaf emblem, and four stars beneath the name on a dark blue background.

Balmer Lawn Hotel

Challenge: A beautiful New Forest hotel ready to grow into its full potential.

What we did:

  • Revenue growth of £3M on top-line sales

  • Weddings up from 20 a year to over 90

  • Spa and F&B revenues up by hundreds of thousands

  • Brand redesign and digital transformation

  • Outdoor venue creation: "The Lodge"

  • CapEx: spa extensions, brewery, wedding pavilion, new bedrooms

  • Dozens of awards for excellence, innovation and team development

Result: A thriving, respected, high-performing hospitality business with a national profile.

Visit The Balmer Lawn

A multi-story brick building with glass balconies and a sign that reads 'Beachside' at sunset. Outside are trees, bushes, outdoor seating with umbrellas, and a cloudy colorful sky.
Logo for Royal Apartments in white on dark background.

Royal Apartments Bournemouth

Challenge: A 7-storey office block with planning approval - but no operational plan, brand or team.

What we did:

  • Full market research & business planning

  • Brand creation (logo, tone, marketing assets)

  • Website launch & PMS setup

  • Recruitment, training, HR and H&S processes

  • Launch strategy and operational readiness

  • Planning advice and F&B integration for future growth

Result: A fully trading luxury apartment hotel with strong foundations, a compelling brand, and a roadmap for scale.

Visit Royal Apartments Bournemouth

Woman sitting on a green sofa using her phone in a living room with patterned wallpaper, large windows with curtains, and a marble coffee table with plants and a mug.
Logo of The Old Bell Hotel featuring a gold bell in the center with the text 'The Old Bell Hotel' above and below it, and 'Est 1220' at the bottom, on a light grey circular background.

The Old Bell Inn

Challenge: A historic Grade I listed hotel with significant potential, but operating below 4-star standards and overly reliant on corporate trade.

What we did:

  • Recruited and restructured Front of House and Sales teams, introducing new SOPs to meet four-star standards

  • Delivered comprehensive revenue and operational training, including banking and rate management

  • Repositioned the hotel’s market focus from corporate to luxury leisure, driving stronger weekend and seasonal bookings

  • Managed the successful delivery of AA inspection, upgrading the hotel’s status from 3-star to 4-star

  • Reduced OTA dependency and enhanced direct bookings via improved website content, packages and offers

  • Supported long-term sustainability by training the ownership team in revenue and operational self-sufficiency

Result: A revitalised heritage hotel with elevated guest standards, a new AA star rating, and a clearer market identity rooted in luxury leisure.

Visit The Old Bell Hotel

Interior of a cozy, upscale restaurant with a wooden bar, patterned wallpaper, and elegant furniture.