Chi siamo
Arielle and David Barratt welcome you to Haven Hall. We are very much involved in running our privately owned Hotel and look forward to meeting you during your stay. From the first moment we saw this location and this view, we knew this lovely old Arts & Crafts Country House could be spectacular. The unusually expansive sea view makes the 2 acres of Gardens seem so much bigger. The peaceful quiet energy, unique charm and beauty of the whole Island also won our hearts. We hope you enjoy your time here, as much as we do.
How did this quintessential Edwardian House come to be a Hotel? Like the original owners who built the House in 1908, Arielle & David wanted to live in a house by the sea. By chance our search took us to the Isle of Wight. In 2013 we bought the property as a 'retirement project'. Although neither David nor Arielle intended to embark on a multi-million pound building renovation project, both had previous experience with property development and restoration. After 4 years of renovations Haven Hall became the happy result of our collaboration and combined talents – something to be proud of! Ask to see our 'Book of the Restoration' for a picture tour of the works.
Alan Titchmarsh has awarded Haven Hall 'The Best Hotel Garden on the Isle of Wight' in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021& 2022. Flower gardens, sea side grasses, palm trees & flax enhance the view from the spacious patio next to a Victorian cherub fountain. Roses and terraces of flowers surround the heated swimming pool, fire pit, grass tennis court and large croquet lawn (also used by helicopters). The entire property is very secluded and secure, with high fencing, security cameras and grand entrance gates.
Inside, all the rooms have been restored and embellished, slightly grander than the original house. Haven Hall has 14 en-suite bedrooms including 7 suites with living areas and kitchens. We strove to create an intimate Arts & Crafts Country Home revitalised for the 21st Century. So lots of antiques mix with comfy super-king beds, high speed wifi & air conditioning throughout.
David Barratt has spent most of his life working in Property. His father was Sir Lawrie Barratt, creator of Barratt Homes. David grew up in Newcastle and spent 25 years in California and Hawaii running his own Property Development Business. He originally qualified as a Civil Engineer and did his Masters at Manchester Business School in 1974. He is keenly interested in practical psychology, philosophy, politics, religion and NLP. He is an avid reader of The Spectator, The Economist Magazine and the Financial Times. His passion has always been to create places of beauty, peace and tranquillity. After retiring, he returned to the UK, met his wife Arielle and moved to the Isle of Wight. He was project manager for the 55 men throughout the 4 year, renovation project. Due to his love of gardens and meditation, he became a Trustee of the Quiet Garden Movement in the UK. One of his current hobbies is bee keeping! (see our page on Sustainability)
Arielle Essex Barratt grew up on the East Coast of America where as a student, she spent her Summers working in a holiday resort. After winning scholarships to study Fine Art at Yale and UCL Slade School, she settled in the UK in 1973. Her talent expanded into doing fashion illustration, caricatures for the Sunday Times and cartoons. This first career in art provided a good basis for doing all the creative design of Haven Hall House & Gardens. Having previously restored several Georgian & Victorian properties, Arielle likes preserving to mix period style with modern comfort. She has a passion for antiques and is addicted to auctions! Another hobby is sewing & making quilts - like the quilted bed runners in all 14 bedrooms. She shares David's love of beauty, gardens and meditation, having followed a spiritual path all her life. After studying medicine for 6 years Arielle started a second career as an Osteopath & Naturopath in 1986. Her work as a healer expanded into studying the mind/body connection. She became a fully accredited Trainer of NLP, teaching and giving talks on practical psychology for 20 years. She featured in the DVD 'The Living Matrix'. Her 3 published books detail her approach to healing, psychology and philosophy. She believes that through healing the mind and emotions, you can free the body to heal itself. She continues to do insightful personal Coaching work.
The lovely labradoodle, Maizie, (who you might have noticed in some of the pictures) arrived at Haven Hall in 2016, delighted to take up her role of 'meet and greet', especially guests bringing their dogs. As well as patrolling the property on a regular basis, Maizie is happy to make sure we take regular walks on the beach. Please note: she loves nothing better than photo bombing...
Haven Hall was created by David & Arielle as a legacy - something to outlive them. It is their passion to share it with the many guests who visit us. We look forward to welcoming you to our home & Hotel.