Rapidly expanding hospitality firm The Inn Collection Group has snapped up a third Welsh site with the acquisition of St Kilda Hotel in Llandudno.
The Newcastle-based operator has bought the 60-room Victorian property, its sixth purchase of the year which takes its total number of venues to 33. Based on the promenade between the Great Orme and Little Orme headlands in the popular seaside town, the St Kilda dates back to 1854 and has coastal views overlooking Llandudno Bay.
The hotel has been under family ownership for the past 21 years and joins other Welsh acquisitions the Swallow Falls Hotel in Betws-y-Coed – where enabling works are under way as part of a major refurbishment project – and recent acquisition The Bull in Beaumaris on Anglesey.
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Sean Donkin, managing director of The Inn Collection Group said: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing The St Kilda Hotel into our pubs with rooms family and continue our expansion into Wales. What sets The Inn Collection Group aside is the exceptional locations of our trading environments and their beautiful outdoor localities and The St Kilda is a perfect match.
“It’s of the correct size to enhance our presence in the area and we’re thrilled to be having it join our existing coastal properties that delight guests in the North East, North Yorkshire and the Lake District. We are passionate about investing in unique sites like the St Kilda and making them special places to eat, drink, sleep and explore from and we’re looking forward to it being part of our new chapter as part of the community fabric here in North Wales.”
The deal was aided by the Manchester office of property specialist Christie & Co. Tom O’Malley, associate director, hotels at Christie & Co said: “I’ve been in contact with the owners of St Kilda for a few years, yet we never felt the market was right to sell. However, having now worked with The Inn Collection Group on several deals and understanding what they are after, I knew it would be the perfect fit for their growing estate and approached them confidentially. I’m delighted that the deal went through successfully and look forward to working with the group on future acquisitions.”
Edinburgh-based commercial law firm Burness Paull provided legal advice on the transaction, while Neil Hart at Newcastle’s Bradley Hall advised on pre-acquisition diligence. Mr Hart, group managing director of Bradley Hall said: “We have a longstanding relationship with The Inn Collection Group and being able to offer them continuous support through their ever-expanding portfolio of hospitality venues is always a pleasure.”
The acquisition comes as refurbishment work starts on three Lake District Inns acquired by The Inn Collection Group - The Wateredge Inn, The Waterhead Inn and The Angel Inn. Contractors moved into The Waterhead Inn at Amleside, with national architects GSSArchitecture appointed as architects and principal designers on the schemes.
GSSArchitecture are leading the redevelopment plans on the three sites, with The Wateredge Inn and The Angel Inn grade II listed buildings in the World Heritage Site. All three sites will benefit from careful refurbishment with new bars and restaurants, improved accessibility, and higher quality guest accommodation.
Separately, the Park Hotel in Tynemouth also recently started on site, with main contractors STP Construction working on the refurbishment of the well known hotel.
Plans for the North Tyneside property include the construction of a two-storey extension in order to add an additional 20 bedrooms at the site. A single storey extension will house a new fish and chip takeaway, ice cream parlour and bar area, whilst the external facades, seating and landscaping will undergo comprehensive refurbishment to improve the overall appearance and experience for guests of the Inn.
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