THE Randolph Hotel’s new general manager has revealed his determination to restore the building to its former glory.

Simon Drake, 38, is believed to be the five-star attraction’s youngest ever head of staff.

And one of his top priorities is ensuring the Grade II-listed hotel in Beaumont Street is properly maintained, in a £1.5m restoration project.

The best stonemasons in the Cotswolds are being brought in to clean and repair the Beaumont Street and Magdalen Street frontages.

“We are restoring this grand old lady and there is still lots of work to be done,” said Mr Drake, who admitted his appointment by the Macdonald Hotels chain earlier this year was the biggest challenge of his career.

Mr Drake is the hotel’s first general manager since Michael Grange died aged 61 last year.

He added: “Michael had been in charge for over 12 years and was a guru of hospitality.

“When I was starting out I served him drinks at a hotel in Winchester and he gave me his best advice - now 22 years on we have come full circle and I am sitting in his seat.”

Following a devastating blaze at the hotel in April 2015 – which was started when a beef stroganoff was vigorously flambéed – the hotel chain completed a £6.5m refurbishment. This included repairs to damaged bedrooms and the opening of the new Acanthus restaurant and Cartoon Bar.

But the work did not end there and the programme of improvements is also continuing inside the hotel, including the £100,000 renovation of the Morse Bar.

During the blaze all the sockets in the bar were damaged and are now being replaced so guests can once again plug in their laptops.

A ballroom renovation has cost £275,000 and the metal and glass canopy at the entrance is also being restored.

The stonework restoration is not expected to be completed until early 2019 and Mr Drake is paying the same painstaking attention to detail when it comes to providing guests with the best possible service.

“There are 151 bedrooms in the hotel and when I’m not back in Surrey with my partner I’m staying the night here,” he said. "I’ve slept in about 40 rooms so far and I intend to sleep in every single one – then if there are any problems I will find out.”

When it comes to welcoming the Randolph's often-high-profile guests, Mr Drake is particularly well-placed: at one point in his career he revealed he worked in Bermuda, 'serving drinks on the beach to singer Whitney Houston, spear fishing with Catherine Zeta-Jones, and hunting for Dolly Parton’s brassiere'.

On the subject of hiring new staff, Mr Drake said he would support those with the best experience, adding: “Experience is priceless.”