An exclusive hotel in a former glassmaking workshop is set to open next month, following a delay of over a year due to the pandemic.

The Harper, in the former Langham Glass building at Langham, will have 32 bedroom and 'guest only' facilities including a restaurant and spa offering massage, facials and beauty treatments.

Sam Cutmore-Scott is managing director of the Bijou Collection - which the hotel is part of - said it would have 15-20 people on staff. The hotel is due to open on May 17 and rooms are mostly booked until the end of July.

Mr Cutmore-Scott said: "I think everyone is desperate to get out of the house and desperate for a change of scene.

"I hope it will fit in and complement what's around here already. We're not going to try and compete with the best burger or best fish and chips on the north Norfolk coast - there's plenty of that already for our customers to go out and enjoy."

Mr Cutmore-Scott said limiting facilities to guests meant they could better anticipate the number of staff and ingredients needed for the restaurant. He said: "Some of the problems you experience in the hospitality business relate to unexpected variations - the peaks and troughs.

"You might have 200 people in for Sunday lunch, but on a few on weekday evening, which makes it difficult to staff. Taking those swings out means we can offer a much better value service for our customers, and a better working environment for our team."

North Norfolk News: The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast.The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast. (Image: Archant)

Mr Cutmore-Scott said they hoped to appeal to people who were no longer bound to an office, and could combine their working day with a stay at the hotel. He said: "We've got quite a focus on 'work from home' or as we call it 'work from here'."

Langham Glass was based at the site until 2005, when it moved to Tattersett Business Park near Fakenham.

Planning permission to covert it to a hotel was first granted the following year, but it was another eight years before work started on the site.

Mr Cutmore-Scott said since the Bijou Collection took over the site they had invested millions on transforming it into The Harper.

North Norfolk News: Sam Cutmore-Scott, managing director of The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast.Sam Cutmore-Scott, managing director of The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast. (Image: Archant)

North Norfolk News: The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast.The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast. (Image: Archant)

North Norfolk News: Sam Cutmore-Scott, managing director of The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast.Sam Cutmore-Scott, managing director of The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast. (Image: Archant)

North Norfolk News: Sam Cutmore-Scott, managing director of The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast.Sam Cutmore-Scott, managing director of The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast. (Image: Archant)

North Norfolk News: The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast.The Harper, a new boutique hotel in the former home of Langham Glass on the north Norfolk coast. (Image: Archant)