Eclectic Bath boutique hotel group Kaleidoscope Collection has added a third venue to its portfolio, acquiring the historic country house Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa near Warminster for £5.5m.
Kaleidoscope said the move, described by the hotel’s agents as one of the most significant deals in the South West over the past 16 months, would create nearly 30 jobs and position the venue as a ‘destination hotel’.
Kaleidoscope Collection owners Ian and Christa Taylor are known for buying small hotels and transforming them into upmarket boutique venues full of idiosyncrasies and unusual décor, often with items from their own art collection.
They currently own The Bird, Bath – formerly the County Hotel – on Pulteney Road, which they bought in 2018, increasing the number of bedrooms from 27 to 31 and adding vibrant new meeting spaces and public areas, and 31-bedroom Homewood, also acquired in 2018 and which is set in 21 acres of gardens in Freshford.
In 2019 they sold No.15 Great Pulteney three years after they transformed it from a row of unloved Georgian terrace houses into a multi award-winning 40-bedroom boutique venue.
They have also bought and sold Bath’s 62-bedroom Abbey Hotel, which under their stewardship went from holding three AA stars to four and doubled its annual turnover, and the 21-bedroom Villa Magdala.
Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa, pictured, which is set to reopen next Thursday, will offer 32 rooms, spa and wellness facilities and the Maple Bar and Terrace – all reimagined in the Taylors’ unique and playful style. It will also cater for boutique weddings of up to 40 guests.
The couple have ambitions to be make the hotel, set in 27 acres of countryside along the River Wylye with a Doric temple and other historic Grade II listed monuments, heavily outdoor-oriented although have yet to disclose more details of what their latest venture will look like.
Ian Taylor said: “The hospitality sector has arguably been hit harder than any other both within the local and national economy. But it has the potential to bounce back stronger than ever before.
“We understand that there was significant interest in Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa from investors both in terms of its prestigious heritage and historic grounds, and a spike in the staycation market as a direct consequence of the pandemic.”
The Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa was put on the market in March by previous owners Versant Developers, which took it over the property from safari park operator Longleat Enterprises in 2018.
Longleat Enterprises had acquired it in 2011 after it fell into administration under the ownership of collapsed upmarket hotel chain Von Essen.
In the latest sale, agent Knight Frank acted on behalf of the hotel’s joint administrators from Kroll Advisory.
Matthew Smith, partner in the hotels team at Knight Frank, said: “Since the easing of restrictions, UK hoteliers, particularly in country locations such as Wiltshire, have seen occupancy rates climb.
“With hotels now allowed to reopen to all guests, we have seen a strong uplift in trading performance, exceeding many hotel owners’ expectations, with total revenue per available room increasing by over 80% across all regional UK hotels for the month of May.
“Whilst coast and country destinations will continue to perform strongly, we also envisage the return of short-breaks to popular tourist UK city destinations.”
Kaleidoscope Collection is recruiting for a variety of roles including restaurant, kitchen, bar and spa staff and is also seeking to work with local traders, suppliers and artists across the South West.
