ORSETT Hall has officially reopened following a £10million rebuild after being destroyed by fire two years ago.

Owners Steve and Lynn Haynes welcomed friends, family, and members of the local business community to witness the unveiling of the hotel.

The venue, in Prince Charles Avenue, Orsett, stands within the footprint of the original Grade II-listed building, which was devastated by fire in May 2007.

The 3,500sq-metre building has three floors and 33 bedrooms, a restaurant, spa facilities, conference halls, meeting rooms, offices, and a gymnasium.

Until the blaze, the Georgian manor included various elements built in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

All that remained in the aftermath of the fire was the cellar and basement, together with ancillary buildings.

The blaze started when timber beams in the kitchen caught fire after they had turned to charcoal following years of heat exposure.

Mrs Haynes is delighted with how quickly the rebuilding programme was completed, especially in the current economic climate.

She said: “Two years after the horrific day when Orsett Hall burnt to the ground, it has now been officially reopened.

“To achieve this is such an accomplishment and, in the present financial climate, is not far short of a miracle.

“We want to thank all our senior management staff who have stayed loyal throughout this period.

“The new Orsett Hall is a facility the people of Thurrock and south Essex can be proud of.”