Hotelier steps in to help couple after Thomas Cook collapse scuppered wedding plans

26 September 2019 by
Hotelier steps in to help couple after Thomas Cook collapse scuppered wedding plans

A Yorkshire hotelier has offered to host the wedding of a couple left devastated after the collapse of Thomas Cook saw their plans cancelled.

Philip Barker, owner and operator of the HRH hotel group, stepped in to help Kirsty Ward and Craig Williams of Sheffield who planned to marry in Cyprus, booking their plans through Thomas Cook.

HRH MD Simon Cotton heard about the couple's case and asked Barker if the group, which owns six hotels, pubs and inns across Yorkshire, could help, to which the owner said "we'll do their wedding for free".

Cotton said: "We're in the travel industry ourselves being hotel operators and it was a sad day to see the end of Thomas Cook as an operator and our sympathies go out to the many staff who have been left not knowing what will happen with their jobs. I'm also in the middle of planning my own wedding for next year and I really felt for this couple who'd spent all this time planning and saving up to then have it all taken away at the last minute and I couldn't help but think we must try to do something and called Philip to let him know of the couple's plight. He's great with things like this and a very generous person so didn't hesitate to want to help out."

Barker added: "The White Hart hotel and Fat Badger pub are well known for hosting incredible weddings. I couldn't bear to see such an amazing event not take place because of something that neither Kirsty or Craig could control. We just had to contact them."

The wedding will take place at HRH's White Hart hotel in Harrogate in October.

TagsHotels
The Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email

Start the working day with The Caterer’s free breakfast briefing email

Sign Up and manage your preferences below

Check mark icon
Thank you

You have successfully signed up for the Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email and will hear from us soon!

Jacobs Media Group is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

close

Ad Blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an adblocker and – although we support freedom of choice – we would like to ask you to enable ads on our site. They are an important revenue source which supports free access of our website's content, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

trade tracker pixel tracking