The Apartment Group opens new luxury North East hotel,…

The Apartment Group opens new luxury North East hotel, country pub and wedding venue

North East hospitality company The Apartment Group has transformed a former country hotel in County Durham into its latest luxury venue.

The group, which owns Newcastle bars ChaChaBuchi, The Holy Hobo and Zarabanda, first outlined plans to invest millions of pounds into Jersey Farm Country Hotel and Whitworth Hall Hotel & Deer Park after acquiring them two years ago. Plans to turn them into luxury boutique hotels were put on hold during the pandemic lockdowns, but the company – which also has popular Northumberland hotels Newton Hall and Le Petit Chateau – is now putting the final touches on Runa, the renamed Jersey Farm, ahead of its opening this month.

The makeover has been orchestrated by chief executive Debrah Dhugga, who previously managed luxury hotels in London and Dubai. She described Runa as “a hotel, country pub and boho wedding venue quite unlike any other seen in the UK, combining natural rural beauty with Balearic vibes”. The Apartment Group has invested a significant sum into Runa, which is based close to Barnard Castle and the North Yorkshire border, taking its name from the first two letters of ‘rural’ and ‘nature’.

Ms Dhugga said: “It was our plan to create an individual and special destination for a ‘boho, honest and earthy’ experience with the farm and its produce at the very heart. he result is a loveable, laid-back, and luxurious County Durham country retreat complete with standout spaces and suites, field-to-fork dining, inviting people to gather, feast, stay, and enjoy every element of its feelgood spirit and endless appeal.

“You’ll be able to enjoy a unique stay where the natural environment, the splendid views, and the magic of its simplicity will seduce you from the beginning.”

Inside Runa in County Durham (The Apartment Group)

Inside one of the rooms at Runa (The Apartment Group)

Alongside the 30-bedroom hotel, the company has refurbished the original farmhouse to appeal to bridal parties or family gatherings. The house sleeps 14 with up to six bedrooms, spread over the first floor and ground floor. It also has a private kitchen and lounge, with a private chef available for hire.

The Smithy Pub is the main hub of the farm, with food and drink available all day.

The opening of Runa comes two months after the firm opened its luxury Scandinavian-style holiday cabins, called Cabin Walk, next to Newton Hall in Northumberland.

It will now focus on a transformation of Whitworth Hall Hotel & Deer Park, based close to Spennymoor, a Grade II-listed mansion which sits within its own private deer park dating back to the mid-17th Century.