In August 2025, the doors to a new hotel in Broadway, The House of George, will open.
The man behind the luxurious addition to the Cotswolds' hospitality scene is business legend George Davies.
Since he launched clothing brands like Next, George at Asda and Per Una at Marks & Spencer, he's worked tirelessly on his own online clothing brand GWD.
But it wasn't until after the global pandemic he spotted a fresh opportunity to try something he'd never done before — open a luxury hotel.
George, who is 83 years old, has lived in the Cotswolds since 1989. It's an area he loves and when the chance arose to buy the former GP surgery on Broadway High Street in 2021, he took it.
It's been a busy three-year renovation to transform the 17th century building into a 10-bedroom and 30-seat fine dining restaurant ahead of the opening on Monday 11 August 2025.
As the finishing touches are put into place, we sat down with George on the terrace of his new hotel to find out more about his journey from 'King of the UK High Street' to the Cotswolds' newest hotelier.
It's a hive of activity with builders, gardeners and catering teams hard at work all around us — how are you feeling about the new opening?
I feel concerned. I never take things for granted. We will need to make it successful rather than assume it will be. I have never been a person who assumes.
But I need risk in my life, it's part of my life. And I like risk, it's boring without it. I never want to retire.
You've created 35 new jobs at the hotel and even more if you count the builders. Are you pleased with the team you've brought together?
I love people. And I never call people staff — they're my colleagues and on their birthdays, all over the world, people get a birthday card from me. The thing that delights me most is colleagues.
Our chef James Wilson has come from The Newt in Somerset — he's the best chef I've ever had cook a meal for me. What he creates tastes better than anything I've ever had. He'll be using the best produce from the Cotswolds as well as the whole of the UK including shellfish from Scotland and Cornwall.
My operations manager Anthony Au Yeung has joined us from Hong Kong where he spent time working with the late French chef Joël Robuchon who held 32 Michelin stars and was regarded by many as the best French chef of the past century. He's also worked at Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck restaurant which he said was fun.
And local builder Nathan Clarke Construction has done very well with some of the changes along the way.
As well as the opening of House of George, I've spotted some apartments at the back of the hotel. Can you tell me more about those?
There are eight self catering apartments with their own parking spaces and they opened in May 2025. I had originally thought they were for colleagues with the special parking but they've been busy ever since they opened. People can stay and park and have some privacy.
So far it's been really successful. In the wardrobes we have ladieswear and girlswear I've designed that guests can take a look at and anyone staying in the apartment gets a 20 per cent reduction on an online order.
I'm very competitive; the way I do retail is different. And, if you look at my colleague's uniforms they are made by me — GWD.
You made your fortune as 'King of the High Street' in 2000, what do you think of business in 2025?
A lot of high street brands are struggling. After I'd done Next, I could see a trend — what towns had never done is car parks. I was aware of the number of cars being registered every year.
Cities want shops but where can people park? They've not been very forward thinking.
I traded in Saudi Arabia and they have massive car parks. The newspapers said out of town won't work but I did George at Asda and proved them wrong.
I like doing things that are against the grain. And I knew about cars, I don't know how I did, I just did!
When I was 22, I worked in Hong Kong for Littlewoods and it was brilliant. All of these experiences have a bearing on what I do.
When you're not hard at work, do you have any favourite spots to eat and drink in the Cotswolds?
Broadway is an amazing place. The Lygon Arms used to be owned by The Savoy and back then it was amazing.
I used to like The Mayflower in Cheltenham before it closed. I have a Sri Lankan charity for children with learning difficulties and I enjoy the Sri Lankan food in Moreton-in-Marsh.
The Snowshill Arms is one of my local pubs for a drink and I know them all in there.
What would you like to say to anyone who is curious about your new hotel?
On behalf of my colleagues, it's definitely worth trying us because what's important to me is feedback from people.
It's feedback that helps you. Customers give you the inspiration.
House of George, on Broadway High Street, opens on Monday 11 August 2025.