Bergman Design House has completed the interiors for Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, marking the studio’s largest UK hospitality project to date and the culmination of a multi-year collaboration with Select Group and Accor’s luxury Design & Technical Services team.
Set within a 157-acre estate on the outskirts of Knutsford, the resort traces its history back to the Domesday Book. Bergman’s brief was to carry that sense of place through a full restoration and expansion, reworking the property from 81 rooms to 116, including 23 suites, alongside a new spa, revised F&B offering and refreshed public spaces.
The interiors draw on the site’s lake, woodland and golf course setting, translating them into a material palette built for a countryside address, beyond the generic luxury template. The 1,715m2 Fairmont Spa, developed with spa consultant Rebecca Doyle, includes a 20m pool, hydropool, outdoor vitality pool, and sauna, steam and hammam facilities. Meanwhile, the F&B line-up encompasses Gordon Ramsay at The Mere, The Club Lounge and The Orangery.
The project was delivered in collaboration with Manchester-based architects Leach Rhodes Walker, as part of Select Group’s wider £60m redevelopment of the estate.
Throughout the hotel, every environment has been carefully curated to encourage connection. The public spaces celebrate the glamour of mid-century hospitality through sculptural forms, layered lighting and richly textured materials. The bars embrace Fairmont’s celebrated cocktail culture, providing the perfect backdrop for its renowned Classics Perfected cocktail programme.
The guestrooms and suites were conceived as peaceful sanctuaries, embracing Fairmont’s philosophy of approachable luxury through gentle palettes, bespoke furniture, fine linens and warm layered lighting that create interiors of comfort, serenity and meticulous attention to detail.
Among the defining highlights was the opportunity to conceive the restaurant for Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay, where exceptional cuisine meets an equally compelling architectural setting – dramatic yet intimate, elegant yet welcoming.
Materiality became one of the hotel’s defining signatures. Mirror-like Japanese lacquer, expressive natural stone, beautifully figured timber veneers, handcrafted zellige tiles, bold coloured cement tiles, beaten metals and a restorative spa crafted from rustic timbers together celebrate craftsmanship and tactile luxury.
“The Mere is a property with real history, and our responsibility here was never to impose a style on it but to let the setting lead,” comments Marie Soliman, co-founder of Bergman Design House. “Every material decision was tested against that lake view. When a space has this much natural character already, restraint is the harder skill – knowing what to leave alone matters as much as what you add. We’re proud to hand this one over.”
Soliman concludes: “Every great brand begins with a story, and Fairmont is no exception. Our vision was to honour that remarkable heritage while introducing a fresh narrative rooted in timeless craftsmanship, emotional design and understated elegance.”
