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In the latest edition of The Independent Hotel Show’s Hotelier Edit series, we speak to Number One Bruton’s Owner Claudia Waddams about restoring a derelict Georgian property, weaving local artistry into every room, and why true hospitality is all about warmth, generosity, and heart.

Tell us about the transformation of Number One Bruton from a derelict Georgian townhouse, forge, and cottages into a stylish boutique hotel, what inspired its design and character? How did the hotel evolve with the recent expansion with Frank & Faber?

When we brought Number One in the summer of 2015, we had no idea about the amount of work that would have to be done to turn the building in to a hotel. The cottages and the forge were totally derelict, and the townhouse was in a bad state of repair.  As we peeled back the layers we found more and more that needed tending to - stone roofs, underpinning, extensive stone repairs - basically everything had to be redone, restored and renovated.  We were very lucky to find brilliant architects who were open to our ideas whilst keeping an eye on the building's historical character...and the bones of the building were good.  We tried hard to keep the floor plan as close to the original as possible - we didn't add but took away.  

The building was set out as a shop - which is now our restaurant and all the bedrooms in the main house have kept their footprint.  Our interior designers, Frank & Faber, were wonderful and totally collaborative (we spoke to a few before we were introduced to them through friends). Sarah Ellison understood my aversion to beige / taupe and encouraged the concept of 'staying at the home of a well-travelled friend' - I grew up abroad and the UK can sometimes feel so grey and gloomy, so it was vital that there was colour and richness built into the building as well as practicality.  My mother was a huge inspiration - she is a maximalist, and I have followed in her footsteps.  It is hugely important to me that the hotel is not a 'one-size-fits-all' and we wanted it to speak from the heart.

A number of local artists and craftspeople have contributed to the hotel’s aesthetic. How did these creative collaborations come about?

Bruton has always been an extraordinarily creative place that seems to nurture great makers and creators - we went into the project thinking how wonderful it would be to be able to showcase as many of these people in the hotel as possible. We wanted to try and spread the luck - how lucky to have a beautiful building in which to be able to show people's work - how lucky to be able to be a bit eccentric - to break away from the generic.  

We are truly independent, and times are tough so why not use our space in a generous and unique way?  Bill Amberg is in charge of the leatherwork at the hotel:  the key fobs and do not disturb signs, furniture (and padding on some of our beams), Candace Bahouth is my Godmother, Melissa Hurst is a local artist who works with porcelain, Richard Pomeroy too, Theodora Gould is a fine artist who I cajoled in to making cabinets for me, Luke Piper, the artist, has a painting in the corridor, Hana Reynolds makes beautiful lamps and did all of our upholstery - the list goes on.  Each room has a list of every contributor to the hotel and their contact details so that guests can get in touch with the artists directly.

With 12 rooms spread across different historic buildings, how do you balance individuality and consistency in guest experience? 

My husband (who has worked in his family hotel in London since finishing university) said to me that two of the most important things at any hotel are the bed and the shower.  Every room has the best of both of these things!  Our mattresses are handmade in Yorkshire by the Odd Company - people often ask where they are from and our showers are great.  So, these two things are consistent in every room, as are the towels and linens - the basics.  In terms of individuality, when you are faced with a blank canvas, it is hard not to respond to this with abandon - so every room is stylistically different (this was also slightly dictated by the building's listed heritage) with same in quality applied throughout.  If I came across something that I really liked (and would like to find in a hotel that I was staying in), I incorporated it.  

Lots of the furniture and art in the rooms comes from my own home, my mum's home - my parents were posted to Syria for a while and I learned how to play backgammon there, so every room has a backgammon board.  We make our own toiletries, and they are available across the hotel and every room has a little care package of cheese / shortbread / cider etc - everything in every room is carefully considered and of consistently high quality which ensures that the guest experience is of the same special, and high standard, whatever room you choose to stay in.

You opened in 2020, right in the midst of the pandemic. What were the biggest challenges you faced, and what lessons did you learn early on?

We opened in January 2020 - we were absolutely elated, Merlin (Osip) was elated, it had been such hard graft getting the hotel ready - my children had spent an inordinate amount of their childhood on a building site, a lot of sacrifices were made - and suddenly everything fell apart (for everyone) around us. Primarily we faced bankruptcy - we had huge loans that were being called in and no way to meet them - the business just ground to a complete halt.  It was a quiet, nightmarish chaos - we had to sell our home in London to support the business, and we moved to Somerset to live with my mum and dad (where we still are).

Of course, this story is not remotely unique to us - every single hotel/restaurant suffered immeasurably during the pandemic.  We were particularly unlucky as we were not able to furlough ourselves, but help came from unexpected quarters:  the press (who had been to stay before we'd had to close) wrote us wonderful reviews so that when the summer of staycations rolled around, we were busy and we managed to cling on by the skin of our teeth. I think the most important lesson that we learned was to have faith in our offering - we knew it was good, and we just had to hold our nerve.  

On reopening we learned that there is value in genuine 'hospitality', in generosity, abundance and warmth and these things remain absolutely core to our business - we run the hotel because we want to and because we love it, not because the five year plan (we don't actually have a five year plan) says we need to be expanding/buying/pushing.  We have learned to never take anything for granted...Aled and I are optimists, almost to the point of naivety, but Covid pushed us to the absolute limit.  We, as people, and the business are still recovering.

Dining at Number One Bruton has seen an exciting evolution from Osip under Merlin Labron‑Johnson to Briar with Sam Lomas and a recent Michelin Bib Gourmand. How does food reflect the ethos of Number One Bruton?

I am a bit obsessed with imposter syndrome - I can’t bear going to stay somewhere and feeling like I don't belong - I wanted Number One to feel like the antithesis to this so the ethos behind Number One is a genuine desire to create something palpably joyful and real and welcoming.  Sam's restaurant is all these things - a place where locals and out-of-towners alike can come and put their faith in the kitchen in a relaxed, informal environment and know that every morsel of food that they put into their mouth will have been cooked from the heart, be hyper-seasonal, and exceptionally delicious. We are all working in hospitality for the love of it.

What are your guiding principles for hospitality and staff culture? 

I fear I am becoming a bit repetitive but when we first put our branding package together, many moons ago - we were asked to pick some words that we felt best described what we were doing; it sounds so cheesy but, - the words that kept popping to the forefront were heart, care, warmth, abundance, generosity, curiosity, home. 

If we had to distil our guiding principle/s in to two words, they would be 'authenticity' and 'value' - value, not in the sense of value for money (although we do try) but the value of people - our staff are trusted and loved, we care about them and we operate as a close-knit team, they are authentic in their love of hospitality, they are here because they are invested.  These words translate to our guests too - we offer them an authentic experience at Number One, and they are valued as individuals; seen and appreciated.  It goes back to wanting to create a hotel that feels like a home; familiar, comfortable and loving.

The courtyard garden is a signature feature, designed by Penelope Hobhouse. What role does it play in the guest experience? 

If you can imagine a series of ancient buildings set around a medieval courtyard then you can imagine the space that Penny had to work with.  It was barren when she first came to look at it - just mud and stone.  I thought that she would advise me to plant flowers and herbaceous borders but I was completely wrong (there is a reason why she is the greatest living garden designer of our time and nicknamed the Queen of Spades) she said 'plant trees, trees that are interesting, with variegated leaves, that change with the seasons so that there is always a point of interest' so that is what we did - she chose all the trees - and we planted them as tiny saplings, she gave us some Hoheria from her own garden.  The courtyard is now a shady glade and quite unexpected.  

There is very little colour (only green and white) and it is as far from a municipal garden as I had hoped it would be.  In the spring I secretly plant tulips in pots as a nod to my father who is Dutch.  People often comment on the garden and say it is very French - which is lovely.  Guests are encouraged to sit out in the shade and have an icy glass of wine, and we are hoping to serve food in the courtyard at some point soon.

As a boutique independent hotel in a creative hub like Bruton, what is your role within the local arts and cultural community?

As mentioned earlier on we wanted to involve as many local craftspeople as was possible - we really wanted to showcase Somerset and to revel in the talents of our immediate community.  Heart/community these things feed off one another and neither can really survive as a stand-alone feature.  

We put on changing exhibitions (at the moment we have a photography exhibition about the 75th anniversary of the fall of Saigon - featuring Don McCullin and a great family friend and brilliant photographer; Nik Wheeler).  Candace Bahouth will be opening an exhibition in what we lovingly call the Cement Room; we run writers retreats and talks.  In our pub, the Blue Ball, we go beyond art events and support all sorts of community events - DJs, folk music, discussion groups and even a death cafe.  We want to be of use to the local community and not exclusive.

The theme of the Independent Hotel Show this year is ‘redefining luxury’ – what do you think defines a luxury hotel experience in 2025?

A stay at Number One!  This is a hard question because it is subjective - for me, luxury is not having to ask and my own time, for others it is exclusivity or money spent, for my kids it would be the 'free stuff' that you get in a room.  So, what would I say constitutes a luxury hotel stay beyond the things that money can buy? I think it's all about being seen - a stay made even more joyous by genuinely interested staff treating you as an individual, spending time with you, where your story is taken up and sewn into the weft of a place. It is about staying somewhere that is unique and independent, that has history and patina and heart.  

A hotel that serves brilliant seasonal food in a banging restaurant, by a team who are genuinely happy to see you.  It’s about generosity, not feeling squeezed for money and...it’s about a really good bed and a shower.