BOSSES at a Ribble Valley hotel are hoping its eight new bedrooms will help “showcase this fabulous county” to more people than ever before.

Northcote, in Langho, has opened the doors to its new Garden Lodge building following a “significant” investment over the past 18 months.

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The launch of the lodge, which has seven bedrooms and one master suite, has created a further 11 jobs at the Northcote Road venue as it celebrates its 30th year.

Craig Bancroft, managing director of Northcote Leisure Group, said: “The Garden Lodge is part of the overall strategy to make Northcote into a luxury hotel.

“We already have a high reputation but we did not have sufficient bedrooms to attract as many people as we would have liked.

“We have become members of (luxury hotel fellowship) Relais & Chateaux, which is a huge accolade for us — there are only 32 such hotels in the UK.

“It puts us with the very best there is. We have invested significant money to compete at that level.”

The Garden Lodge, with interiors designed by Jill Holst of Ward Robinson, has increased the hotel’s capacity from 18 to 26 guest rooms.

Other additions in the new building include the Cristal Room and the Vintage Room in the Louis Roederer private dining area, and the Chef’s Table in the restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef Nigel Haworth.

Mr Bancroft said he hopes the new development will prove popular with overseas visitors coming to do business in East Lancashire.

He said: “For the business community in the surrounding areas — people like BAE Systems or Graham & Brown — who are trying to improve their export markets, we think the hotel is attractive to that community.”