An exclusive interview with Valeria Sykes, owner of Grantley Hall.
The best piece of business advice I’ve ever been given is to surround yourself with people that you trust and that share the same vision.
When I embarked on the Grantley Hall project, I knew that I had to have a team of people behind me that understood the overall goal of creating somewhere that would really put Yorkshire hospitality on the map. Throughout my life and career, I’ve learned that the key foundation for happiness and success is to surround yourself with like-minded individuals.
From a very young, age my love and interest in nature has helped teach me to be happy and grateful for the simple things in life, which really helps to keep my feet on the ground.
In fact, one of my favourite areas of the hotel, is our beautiful grounds, which look amazing throughout the seasons.
One of the most significant pieces of life advice I always go back to is “enjoy your achievements as well as your plans”, which is from one of my favourite poems called “Desiderata”, by Max Ehrmann.
The poem has always resonated with me and means “things desired” in Latin. It gives the reader a positive framework to go through life and has always been a pragmatic source of inspiration for me throughout my life and my attitude towards it.
One life lesson I wish I’d learned sooner is that patience is key and that some things cannot be rushed.
Grantley Hall is a prime example. It was purchased back in 2015 and, after a lengthy four-year restoration project, it was transformed. The property needed a lot of work carrying out to it and we wanted to ensure that the project was done to the highest standards. Grantley Hall was designed and created to BREEAM standards – the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for new buildings.
Growing up in Yorkshire has taught me the importance of resilience, determination and pride in whatever you do.
A huge reason the family embarked on the recreation of Grantley Hall was to create something Yorkshire could be proud of and I would like to think that we have achieved that goal – and more.
One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in business is to try to maintain a positive and constructive outlook during testing times.
The same goes in life – remaining strong and positive even when times get tough. It can be hard, but doing so provides the opportunity to improve and evolve going forward.
When I look back on my life and career, I see now that working with my family has been paramount to the success I’ve had.
Especially when it comes to Grantley Hall, as we all share the same aspirations, along with the same hard work and determination to make them a reality.Being involved in many projects over the years, varying from interior design ventures to large-scale commercial projects, has really helped prepare me for the Grantley Hall journey.
When I think about what’s required to succeed in life and business, the biggest parallel is to stay true to yourself and your morals, even in difficult times.
There will always be challenges in life – both personally and professionally – but the trick is just knowing how to approach everything with a positive attitude.
As I reflect on my life so far, one of the things I’ve learned most about myself is that I love being busy and like to have different areas to direct my passions.
I have a true passion for restoring old buildings, so when I saw the empty Grantley Hall estate for sale I knew that it was a project that I had to embark on. I wanted to restore it back to its old glory so that we could celebrate the very best of our county. I’ve always been a proud Yorkshire woman, but throughout Grantley Hall’s restoration I became even more passionate for my county; using Yorkshire’s suppliers, products and people to create the hotel into what it is today.
I don’t think I’d give my younger self any advice, even knowing what I know now.
I’m not sure I would need to tell her anything – my life has gone down a path which I wouldn’t ever wish to change. Through all the good and bad times, I am here now and all the more happy for it.
