Making His Experience Count

John Deighan, operations director of North East-based hotel company Aston Hotels, has been with the firm since its birth in 2001. Here he talks to North East Times about his career in hospitality.After working with Swallow Hotels – and later Whitbread – for more than 30 years, John saw the opportunity with Aston as a great way of using his experience in a brand new project.

John – a keen Sunderland supporter who has three children and lives in East Boldon – decided to start his career in hotels after leaving school in Ireland.

He says: “I began my career at the Great Southern Hotel in Galway as a trainee manager in 1969 and completed a four-year diploma at The College of Hotel Management in Shannon in 1970, graduating in 1974.

“While I was studying I also spent a year working in Switzerland, gaining experience in hotel operations from the experts. “I had a great time and knew then that this was the job for me. I’ve worked for almost 40 years and being behind a desk all of that time wouldn’t have
suited me at all.”

After spending a year working in Guildford, Surrey, John moved north to Aberdeen to begin his career with Swallow, starting as deputy
manager in 1974 and leaving as national director after the company was bought out by Whitbread in 2000. In that year, John was also awarded an MBE for services during the launch of the Government’s New Deal employment initiative in the late 1990s.

And it was in 2001 that John – who also pops up as a guest on BBC Radio Tees’ breakfast show from time to time – joined Aston, aiming to build the company as a group of new generation business hotels providing high quality service at value-for-money prices.
John, who also organises an annual charity ball in aid of the Bubble unit in Newcastle General Hospital, says: “I’ve worked in a lot of hotels and built up a lot of experience, so being part of the strategic team at Aston is great.

“The company policy is to place a lot of emphasis on training and development of its employees to ensure that its customers receive
better-than-expected hotel and dining experience every time they visit an Aston Hotel. “There are three Aston Hotels so far – in
Darlington, Dumfries and Sheffield – and the aim is to grow the business to 10 hotels over the next five years. We build purpose-built hotels rather than buying existing hotels and converting them, so the standards we set are consistent for the customer.”

Each Aston hotel has large bedrooms with guest-controlled heating and cooling, American King-size beds, power showers and WiFi
throughout. The hotels have purpose-built air conditioned conference rooms, Brasserie59 restaurant and a bar – all of which are open to non-resident guests as well. John said:

“Despite the tough times we’re doing well keeping our heads well above the surface. Aston was a good move.”

Anyone who would like to contact John or who would like more information on Aston Hotels
should log on to www.astonhotels.co.uk

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