Bath hoteliers Ian and Christa Taylor have acquired the city’s boutique Dukes Hotel as the latest addition to their upmarket Kaleidoscope portfolio.
The 17-bedroom property, pictured, which occupies two Grade I listed townhouses dating back to the 18th century on Great Pulteney Street, was bought in an off-market deal.
It becomes the fourth hotel in the couple’s collection, which also includes the 31-bedroom The Bird, Bath, on Pulteney Road, Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa, a 19th-century, 32-bedroom country house hotel near Warminster, and Homewood, a 31-bedroom hotel at Freshford which recently underwent a £3m upgrade.
Ian and Christa Taylor are known for acquiring small hotels and transforming them into upmarket boutique venues full of idiosyncrasies and unusual décor, often with items from their own art collection.
They regularly shuffle their Kaleidoscope portfolio, selling on their hotels before acquiring others. In the past the couple have owned Bath’s four-star, 62-bedroom Abbey Hotel and 21-bedroom Villa Magdala.
The acquisition of Dukes Hotel marks a return to Great Pulteney Street for the Taylors, who bought the former 31-bedroom Carfax Hotel on the street in 2016. They converted the row of unloved Georgian terrace houses, which had been run as a hostel by Salvation Army, into the multi award-winning boutique No.15 Great Pulteney before selling it to GuestHouse Hotels in 2019.
Dukes Hotel will be refurbished with Kaleidoscope’s signature design stamped on its bedrooms and public spaces, including a ‘boutique wellness facility’.
Originally known as St Monica’s, the property underwent various transformations before becoming Dukes in 1985, paying homage to the Duke of Clevedon.
Ian Taylor said: “As Dukes integrates into the Kaleidoscope portfolio, the focus will be on continuing to bring our playful spirit into the hospitality world, whilst fostering a sense of community among the brilliant team, and bringing them into the family with a smooth transition.
“Looking ahead, exciting synergies across the portfolio will be explored, especially with The Bird, which is a neighbour of Dukes.
“As a hotel collection we delight in being different, and we are looking forward to bringing this unique approach to Dukes as it becomes part of the Kaleidoscope Hotels.”
The sale of Dukes Hotel was conducted on an off-market basis by Savills Hotel Capital Markets, whose director James Greenslade said: “This exceptional property is the perfect addition to the buyer’s portfolio of stunning hotels.
“The hotel has been tastefully decorated with antiques and fine art, and there are several opportunities to increase its offering subject to planning permissions. Dukes will remain open offering excellent service to their customers.”
