A family-run seafront hotel in South Tyneside has been sold after the owners decided to retire.
The Little Haven Hotel in South Shields was built in 1997 under the supervision of Heather Hollingsworth and her late husband Adrian, based on the mouth of the River Tyne while overlooking the Little Haven Beach. The couple constructed the 62-bedroom hotel with a conservatory-style restaurant, designing the building to take full advantage of its location.
The hotel has now been sold in a deal overseen by property firm Christie & Co to a buyer who wants to remain anonymous. The new owner is planning to make some minor changes, but said the hotel would continue to follow the same business model which has proved so successful over the last 26 years.
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Ms Hollingsworth said: “We are selling the hotel with a heavy heart but the time has come to retire. Adrian and I built the hotel from the ground up and I am very grateful that after he passed away in 2012, I was able to continue growing the business and building the reputation which has made the hotel the success it is today, thanks to the support of my sister-in-law, Paula Taylor, who is my company secretary, along with some amazing people who have worked with me and for me.
“We have enjoyed many wonderful years at the hotel and we are going to miss everyone so much. Once we made the decision to sell, we engaged our long-time adviser and selling agent, Mark Worley at Christie & Co to guide us through the sale process and to find us a buyer with a minimum amount of fuss and disruption. This he did with aplomb and also introduced us to an excellent solicitor called Gordon Brown from Clarke Mairs in Newcastle, who expertly handled the legal side.
“It is a wrench for us to leave but we know that the new owner’s intentions are to continue to run the hotel in exactly the same way and to the same exacting standards, and we wish him all the best for the future.”
Mark Worley, North East-based hotel director at Christie & Co, said: “I have known Heather and Paula for many years, having regularly met to update them on the market and a potential exit strategy. When the time came for them to sell, I already had a good knowledge of the hotel and its level of trade.
“I also knew that it would be popular given the hotel’s size, its ideal location and level of profitability, with many income streams. The sale demonstrates the ongoing demand for large profitable hotels, in sought-after locations, and with good profits that appeal to investors and buyers.”
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