How Hurlston Hall Hotel and Spa Created a One-Stop-Shop for Operational Excellence
Hurlston Hall Hotel and Spa transformed their fragmented operational systems into a centralised platform, achieving better communication, full compliance visibility, and streamlined daily operations across their leisure facilities.
Organisation:
Hurlston Hall Hotel and Spa
Sector:
Hotel with Leisure Facilities
Sites Using OpsPal:
Hotel, spa, gym, and pool facilities
Service Area:
Lancashire, UK
Key Decision-Maker:
Dominic Ainsworth, Leisure Manager
Key Outcomes Achieved:
Centralised Operations
One-stop-shop for all processes and procedures
Compliance Confidence
On top of health and safety records at all times
Enhanced Communication
Better communication than ever before
About Hurlston Hall Hotel and Spa
Hurlston Hall is a distinguished hotel and spa in Lancashire, offering guests a premium experience that combines comfortable accommodation with extensive leisure facilities.
Their operations include:
- Hotel guest services and facilities
- Luxury spa treatments and facilities
- Fitness gym with modern equipment
- Swimming pool requiring meticulous management
- Multiple service areas requiring coordination
- Health and safety across diverse activities
- Staff coordination across hotel and leisure operations
Managing such diverse operations—from hotel service standards to pool plant management, spa treatments to gym safety—requires robust systems to ensure consistent quality, compliance, and communication across all teams.
As Leisure Manager, Dominic Ainsworth needed operational systems that could handle the complexity of a multi-faceted hospitality operation whilst being straightforward enough for staff across different departments to use confidently.
The Challenge: Fragmented Systems and Communication Gaps
Before implementing OpsPal, Hurlston Hall faced the operational challenges common to hotel and leisure facilities with diverse service offerings: fragmented systems, scattered information, and communication challenges across departments.
Information Scattered Across Multiple Places
Without a centralised system, operational information was distributed across various locations and formats:
- Procedures in different folders or files
- Risk assessments stored separately
- Training records in spreadsheets
- Daily tasks on printed checklists or whiteboards
- Health and safety documentation in various places
- Communication happening through multiple channels
This fragmentation meant:
- Time wasted searching for information
- Uncertainty about currency – is this the latest version?
- Inconsistent approaches across different areas
- Difficult handovers between shifts or departments
- Compliance concerns – where is that document we need?
For a facility where hotel service, spa treatments, fitness operations, and pool management all need to work together seamlessly, this lack of centralisation created inefficiency and risk.
Health and Safety Compliance Concerns
Maintaining comprehensive health and safety compliance across such diverse operations was challenging without a systematic approach.
The Compliance Challenge:
- Multiple areas with different health and safety requirements
- Risk assessments for hotel, spa, gym, pool, and general facilities
- Staff training records across various roles and competencies
- Difficult to demonstrate compliance during inspections
- No clear visibility of overall compliance status
- Manual tracking consuming management time
For a hotel and spa operation with duty of care responsibilities to both guests and staff, confidence in compliance is essential. Without clear systems, Dominic couldn’t be certain that all health and safety requirements were being met consistently.
Task Completion and Daily Operations
Ensuring that daily operational tasks were completed across all departments was difficult without centralised visibility:
Daily Task Challenges:
- Pool water tests and plant room checks
- Gym equipment inspections
- Spa facility cleaning and preparation
- Hotel operational checks
- Safety inspections across all areas
- No systematic way to confirm completion
- Gaps in task completion not immediately visible
When tasks are managed through various methods—printed checklists, verbal instructions, individual initiative—there’s no clear oversight and things can be missed, especially during busy periods or staff changes.
Communication Breakdown
Perhaps most significantly, communication across the team wasn’t as effective as it needed to be.
Communication Issues:
- Important information not reaching everyone
- Updates getting lost in email chains
- Different teams working with different information
- Difficulty ensuring everyone had read critical updates
- No confirmation that messages were received and understood
- Time-consuming to track down who knew what
In a hospitality operation where guest experience depends on all teams working together smoothly, communication challenges directly impact service quality and operational efficiency.
The Operational Impact
These challenges combined to create several serious impacts:
- Guest Experience Risk: Inconsistent operations affecting service quality
- Staff Frustration: Time wasted searching for information and dealing with unclear communication
- Compliance Uncertainty: Lack of confidence in health and safety status
- Management Burden: Excessive time spent on coordination and checking
- Inefficiency: Duplication of effort and repeated questions
- Missed Tasks: Critical operations falling through the cracks
Dominic knew that to maintain Hurlston Hall’s reputation for quality and to operate efficiently, they needed a better approach to operational management.
The Solution: OpsPal’s Centralised Operations Platform
Why Hurlston Hall Chose OpsPal
Hurlston Hall needed a solution that would:
- Centralise all operational information in one accessible place
- Provide clear visibility of health and safety compliance
- Ensure daily tasks were tracked and completed systematically
- Improve communication across all teams and departments
- Be simple enough for staff across hotel and leisure operations to use
- Provide confidence in operational standards and compliance
OpsPal’s platform offered exactly what Dominic needed. Rather than requiring multiple systems or complex configuration, OpsPal provides an integrated approach to operational management that matches how hospitality and leisure facilities actually work.
The platform’s structure—procedures, tasks, risk assessments, training, and problem management—addressed all of Hurlston Hall’s key requirements in one cohesive system.
Critically, OpsPal’s accessibility across devices meant that staff could access procedures and complete tasks whether they were at the reception desk, in the spa, at the gym, or doing pool plant checks—breaking down the information silos that had characterised their previous approach.
Implementation
Hurlston Hall’s implementation of OpsPal focused on creating their “one-stop-shop” for operational management:
Phase 1: Centralisation of Core Information
- Upload of all operational procedures for hotel and leisure
- Migration of risk assessments to centralised system
- Import of staff training records and logs
- Setup of user access for all staff members
- Configuration of organisational structure
Phase 2: Task Management Setup
- Implementation of daily operational tasks
- Setup of schedules for pool tests, equipment checks, facility inspections
- Configuration of task assignments across departments
- Integration of reminders and notifications
Phase 3: Communication Framework
- Establishment of procedures for updates and changes
- Setup of notification systems for important information
- Training staff on accessing and using OpsPal
- Integration into daily operational routines
Phase 4: Health and Safety Excellence
- Systematic organisation of all risk assessments
- Setup of training tracking and compliance monitoring
- Implementation of health and safety record-keeping
- Creation of audit-ready compliance documentation
The implementation was designed to replace Hurlston Hall’s fragmented approach with a cohesive, centralised system that everyone could access and use confidently.
The Results: Operational Transformation
The impact of implementing OpsPal at Hurlston Hall has been transformative, affecting every aspect of their operations from daily task management to strategic compliance confidence.
The One-Stop-Shop Achievement
The most significant achievement has been creating a single, centralised location for all operational needs:
“It’s become a one-stop-shop for all our process & procedure needs and has enabled us to record everything in one place.”
What This Means in Practice:
Before OpsPal:
- Procedures scattered across different folders, drives, or paper files
- Risk assessments in separate filing systems
- Training records in spreadsheets
- Daily tasks managed through various methods
- No single place to find everything
After OpsPal:
- Everything in one place: Procedures, risk assessments, training logs, tasks, all centralised
- Easy access: Staff can find what they need without searching through multiple systems
- Consistent approach: Everyone using the same system in the same way
- Time saved: No more hunting for information or asking “where is that document?”
- Reduced duplication: One system, one approach, one source of truth
This centralisation has eliminated the frustration and inefficiency of fragmented systems, creating a streamlined approach that makes everyone’s job easier.
Complete Compliance Confidence
OpsPal has transformed Hurlston Hall’s approach to health and safety compliance:
“It has also enabled us to keep on top of key health and safety records to ensure our compliance at all times.”
Compliance Benefits:
Centralised Risk Assessments: “A place to store all risk assessments”
Every risk assessment for hotel operations, spa treatments, gym activities, pool management, and general facilities is now stored centrally in OpsPal. This means:
- Always know where to find any risk assessment
- Clear version control—always the current version
- Easy to update when operations or regulations change
- Can demonstrate comprehensive risk management
- Audit-ready at any time
Training Log Visibility: “Staff training logs”
All staff training records are tracked digitally in OpsPal:
- See who is trained in what competencies
- Identify when training needs renewal
- Ensure all roles have appropriately qualified staff
- Demonstrate training compliance for inspections
- Plan training needs proactively
Real-Time Compliance Status: “Keep on top of key health and safety records to ensure our compliance at all times”
Rather than uncertainty about compliance status, Dominic now has:
- Clear visibility of all health and safety documentation
- Confidence that records are current and complete
- Systematic approach to compliance management
- Reduced risk of gaps or oversights
- Peace of mind that standards are being maintained
This transformation in compliance confidence is particularly valuable for a hotel and spa operation with multiple regulatory requirements and high duty of care standards.
Daily Operational Excellence
OpsPal has systematised the daily operations that are critical to maintaining service quality:
“Ensure all staff can complete their daily tasks and procedures to ensure our day-to-day operation”
Task Management Benefits:
Clear Responsibilities: Every staff member can see their daily tasks clearly:
- Pool water tests and plant room checks for pool staff
- Equipment inspections for gym team
- Facility preparation for spa staff
- Operational checks for hotel team
- Safety inspections across all areas
Completion Tracking: Managers can see what’s been completed and what’s outstanding:
- Real-time visibility of task status
- Visual indicators (green/amber/red) showing progress
- Immediate identification of any missed tasks
- Accountability for completion
- Consistent standards across all shifts
Procedure Access: Staff can access procedures when they need them:
- How to respond to incidents
- Equipment operating procedures
- Cleaning and maintenance protocols
- Emergency procedures
- Service standards and expectations
This systematic approach ensures that the critical daily tasks that maintain service quality, safety, and compliance happen consistently, even during busy periods or staff changes.
Communication Transformed
Perhaps the most impactful change has been in team communication:
“Communication is better than it’s ever been.”
This is a powerful statement from a Leisure Manager responsible for coordinating multiple departments. When communication improves significantly, everything else becomes easier.
Why Communication Has Improved:
Single Communication Platform:
- Important updates posted in OpsPal where everyone can access them
- No more information lost in email chains
- Clear, accessible communication channel for the whole team
Confirmed Receipt:
- Read receipts show who has seen important information
- No more uncertainty about whether messages were received
- Follow-up easy—can see exactly who still needs to access information
Consistent Information:
- Everyone working from the same procedures and information
- No confusion caused by different versions or interpretations
- Updates distributed systematically to all relevant staff
Accessible Anywhere:
- Staff can access OpsPal on any device
- Communication reaches everyone regardless of location
- Hotel, spa, gym, pool teams all connected
Documentation of Communication:
- Record of what was communicated and when
- Evidence that important information was shared
- Protection for both management and staff
Better communication means:
- Fewer misunderstandings and mistakes
- Improved coordination between departments
- Better guest experience as teams work together smoothly
- Reduced management time dealing with communication issues
- More cohesive team working toward shared goals
Testimonial
What Dominic Ainsworth Says
“It’s become a one-stop-shop for all our process & procedure needs and has enabled us to record everything in one place.
It has also enabled us to keep on top of key health and safety records to ensure our compliance at all times. A place to store all risk assessments, staff training logs and ensure all staff can complete their daily tasks and procedures to ensure our day-to-day operation and communication is better than it’s ever been.”
OpsPal Features Used by Hurlston Hall
Hurlston Hall uses these OpsPal features across their hotel and leisure facilities:
✓ Procedures – Centralised repository for all operational procedures across hotel, spa, gym, and pool operations
✓ Risk Assessments – Complete storage and management of all risk assessments for diverse activities and facilities
✓ Tasks – Daily operational task tracking including pool tests, equipment checks, facility inspections, and service standards
✓ Training Matrix – Staff training logs and compliance tracking across all roles and competencies
✓ Document Management – Single source of truth for all operational documentation with easy access and version control
✓ Communication Tools – Platform for sharing updates and ensuring critical information reaches all team members
✓ Compliance Tracking – Real-time visibility of health and safety compliance status
✓ Mobile Access – Staff can access procedures and complete tasks across hotel and leisure facilities on any device
✓ Audit Logging – Complete record of all activities providing audit trail for compliance and governance
Key Success Factors and Next Steps
Key Success Factors
What made Hurlston Hall’s OpsPal implementation successful:
1. Comprehensive Approach Rather than implementing selectively, Hurlston Hall made OpsPal their central system for all operational management.
2. Cross-Departmental Integration OpsPal works across hotel and leisure operations, creating one cohesive system rather than departmental silos.
3. Leadership Commitment Dominic’s focus on finding a genuine solution rather than accepting fragmented systems drove successful implementation.
4. Staff Buy-In The “one-stop-shop” approach made everyone’s job easier, encouraging adoption and consistent use.
5. Focus on Communication Recognition that better systems enable better communication, directly improving operations.
6. Compliance Priority Using OpsPal to systematically manage health and safety records gave confidence and reduced risk.
What’s Next for Hurlston Hall
With OpsPal now established as their operational management platform, Hurlston Hall continues to refine and enhance their use of the system:
Ongoing Optimisation:
- Regular review of procedures to ensure they reflect current best practices
- Expansion of task management to additional operational areas
- Continuous improvement of communication approaches
- Enhancement of training tracking and development
Future Opportunities:
- Integration of guest feedback into operational improvements
- Use of operational data to identify efficiency opportunities
- Expansion of problem management capabilities
- Further development of digital resources and procedures
With OpsPal as their “one-stop-shop,” Hurlston Hall has the foundation to continue raising standards, improving efficiency, and maintaining the operational excellence that supports their reputation for quality.