Ramside lands airport lounge deal

A North East hospitality group is taking its ambitions to new heights after securing a deal to operate Teesside International Airport's exclusive passenger lounge.

Ramside Estates has taken over the exclusive lounge at the airport, with the agreement seeing the Ramside brand replace Rockliffe across the facility.

Open to all passengers, the lounge also offers direct boarding to aircraft for eligible SkyPriority KLM Royal Dutch Airlines customers.

The partnership extends Ramside’s presence across the airport terminal, with branding now visible throughout the site as part of a wider collaboration between the two organisations.

Phil Forster, managing director of Teesside Airport, said: “It’s great to have the Ramside name featuring in our lounge and terminal – and have Teesside Airport appearing prominently at The Pin. 

“The agreement really reflects the quality and the high calibre of partners we have.

“We look forward to forging a close relationship with John and Ramside Estates over the coming months and years – and we’d urge passengers to experience our brilliant lounge when they travel with us.”

The new Ramside Lounge at Teesside International Airport

The move marks the latest expansion for Ramside Estates, one of the North East’s largest hospitality operators. 

Its portfolio includes Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa, Hardwick Hall Hotel, Bowburn Hall and The Impeccable Pig, alongside leisure venues such as The Pin at Ramside Hall, WonderBar in Newcastle, Colonel Porter’s Emporium on Newcastle’s Quayside and Sticky Wicket at Durham Cricket’s Riverside Ground.

The agreement will also see cross-promotion between the businesses, with Ramside highlighting Teesside Airport’s routes to destinations across Europe, including Alicante, Faro, Majorca, Malaga and Corfu, as well as worldwide connections via Amsterdam Schiphol.

It also follows Ramside Estates’ acquisition of a long lease on the former St George Hotel at the airport late last year. 

The company has outlined plans to transform the site into a conference and banqueting venue as part of its longer-term vision for the airport estate.

John Adamson, owner and managing director of Ramside Estates, added: “We’re very pleased to agree this partnership with Teesside Airport. 

“It provides a key gateway to the world and we’re proud to have opened the Ramside Lounge in our local airport.

“Like us, the airport has ambitions to grow, and I look forward to the prospect of more flights and destinations.

“Seeing the Ramside name featuring in Teesside Airport’s terminal is a point of pride and we hope passengers enjoy the lounge and service it provides.”

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen added: “The airport is on the up with more flights and more international companies coming to Teesside, doing business and expanding here.

“To have Ramside on board with the hotel, the lounge and our wider terminal is another big boost – and I hope we have more exciting announcements to share in the future.”

To find out more about John Adamson, who has spent a life in the hospitality trade, read his interview in our sister publication, N, here. To read more about The Pin at Ramside Hall Hotel – which has proved hugely successful – read our piece with John, here.

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