Bath hoteliers Ian and Christa Taylor this week said they are looking to make further acquisitions in the city after buying the four-star County Hotel.
The couple’s Kaleidoscope Collection snapped up the 22-bedroom hotel on Pulteney Rd for an undisclosed sum just a month after selling the four-star, 62-bedroom Abbey Hotel.
That sale, to US-UK group KE Hotels, had left the group with just one venue - No.15 Great Pulteney, which they opened just over a year ago in the former Carfax Hotel.
Last summer they also sold the 21-bedroom Villa Magdala to the Indian-owned Roseate Hotels & Resorts.
But at the time of the flagship Abbey disposal, the Taylors said they would use the proceeds to fund ‘exciting’ new projects. This week they hinted at further acquisitions on top of the County Hotel deal, saying they had their sights on several more and hoped to announce new hotels for the collection over the coming months.
They said they planned to transform the County, which overlooks The Rec and Bath Abbey, into a boutique hotel, making it a sister property for the 40-bedroom No.15 over the next two years.
A first phase of work will refresh the bedrooms and public spaces, with the lower ground floor opening as a social hub, with booths available for hourly hire.
The hotel, which Kaleidoscope acquired from small private hotel business Seasons Group, will also house pop-ups, with an al fresco beach bar offering cocktails and street food-inspired barbecues during the summer, and a ‘winter wonderland’ during the festive season.
In the next phase, the number of bedrooms will increase to 30 with a reconfiguration of the smaller rooms to make them larger.
The Taylors will be looking to work with local businesses to give the County a new identity with statement pieces of art and unique touches.
The sale was completed yesterday with the help of Bath law firm Mogers Drewett and accountants Moore Stephens.
Mogers Drewett company commercial team partner Tom Webb, who also advised on the Abbey Hotel sale, said: “It was a pleasure to work with Ian and Christa again. As seasoned hoteliers they bring innovation to the local hospitality industry with their luxury hotels.
“The purchase of a hotel can be complex with many moving parts, but we have a wealth of experience in this area and take time to fully immerse ourselves in every detail.”
In 2014 the then County Hotel owner Seasons Group announced a £1m refurbishment to build on its reputation as a haven for food lovers following the opening of Bath-born celebrity chef Martin Blunos’ fish restaurant at the hotel. The restaurant later closed down.
