History of The Atlantic Hotel
On 7 May 1970 the Jersey Evening Post announced the arrival of ‘a new luxury hotel in Jersey on the most magnificent site in the Channel Islands’ bringing to fruition Henry Burke’s vision of a luxury hotel in a stunning location. A graduate of the Swiss hotel school in Lausanne, Henry’s involvement with the Jersey Hotel and Guest House Association as its President led to his belief in the island as a tourist destination and his commitment to establishing a new hotel of the highest quality.
Henry’s son Patrick returned to Jersey in 1985 to join the family business and succeeded his father as Managing Director in 1987. Embarking on an initial five year development programme, Patrick’s first project was to expand the hotel by adding garden studios, luxury suites and a new health club. Since then, and with the support of his wife Treena, a native islander, he has worked tirelessly to secure its position as one of Jersey’s finest hotels.
A series of further major investments has continued the complete refurbishment of every area of the property to high international standards. The appointment of London based architects Manser Associates working with interior designer Julian Reed saw the remodelling of the main building and guestrooms at the turn of the millennium, introducing a crisper, cleaner feel reminiscent of 1930’s marine architecture – a style which has become a classic icon for comfort and luxury.
Patrick’s philosophy of continuous improvement led to the launch of the fine dining Ocean restaurant, and the redesign of the entrance hall and lounge areas to provide an even greater feeling of luxury. As with the evolution of the hotel during the last 35 years, the renovation blends traditional and modern elements through high quality, timeless design, specially commissioned furniture and striking artwork.
In tandem with the ongoing development of the building, the hotel gardens and grounds have benefited from a landscaping programme overseen by local landscape architect, Michael Felton. Breathtaking ocean views over St Ouen’s Bay have been further enhanced by carefully managed tree surgery, firmly emphasising The Atlantic’s magnificent headland setting.
Barclays, who the Burke family have banked with for six generations, recently created a short video showing life behind the scenes at The Atlantic Hotel as part of their ‘Masters of their Craft’ series. The video can be viewed on the Barclays Overseas website.