Palé Hall appoints Harry Shepherd as new General Manager

1024 683 Katy Phillips
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New face in the hot seat at Grade II Listed destination

The five-star Palé Hall in North Wales has appointed Harry Shepherd as its new General Manager, following a search process lead by out-going General Manager Pim Wolfs and owners Alan and Angela Harper.

Shepherd has spent the last five months working alongside Wolfs and the owners to help ensure a smooth transition.

He was previously with the five red-star Chester Grosvenor and is now tasked with working with the AA to take Palé to its next level.

The Grade II listed Palé Hall has been restored to its former glory by the owners, creating a peaceful and luxurious retreat surrounded by the Welsh valleys on the edge of Snowdonia National Park.

Owner Angela Harper said: “Since Harry joined Palé he has continued the hotel’s quest for excellence. It was clear to us from the beginning that Harry had what it takes to be the perfect General Manager for us. We are certain that we have found the right person having already built a very close working relationship with Harry and are delighted that he is leading the Palé family.

“We will be very sorry to see Pim go, he has behaved with great honour during this process, ensuring great succession planning and he leaves with our love and respect. He is an important part of the Palé story and always will be. I am delighted that he has an opportunity at another prestigious property. Of course, Alan and I wish Pim well in his new role.”

Wolfs said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Palé Hall and it’s been a fantastic experience to launch the hotel and share this journey with Alan and Angela. Due to family reasons I’ve made the decision to move to the Cotswolds,. I made them a promise that I would not leave until we had found the right person to step into the General Manager role, and I have no doubt that Harry is indeed that person and I proudly hand over the reins to him”.

Speaking about his new position, Shepherd said: “I have enjoyed my time at Palé Hall so far and I’m delighted to be taking over as General Manager. The high standards of the hotel, our wonderful location in the welsh countryside and its continued strive for excellence makes it an exciting place to work, and I’m pleased to be taking on the leadership as we continue to evolve and build on our already prestigious reputation”.

Katy Phillips / 23.03.2018

Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand. During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

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