National hotel group Axcel Hospitality has snapped up its second hotel in Bath as the city’s tourism sector continues to respond to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
The group has acquired the four-star Lansdown Grove Hotel, pictured, following the collapse of its owner Specialist Leisure Group into administration earlier this year.
The 18th-century Grade-II listed hotel on Lansdown Road was extensively refurbished last year with significant investment in upgrading its 61 bedrooms and public areas.
It also has a reception lounge, lounge bar and restaurant, plus private, lawned gardens and private off-street parking for about 40 cars.
It was put on the market by upmarket estate agencies Savills and Carter Jonas in July with a £8m-plus price tag, attracting “significant interest”, according to its agents.
New owner Axcel acquired four-star, 65-bedroom Henrietta House, pictured below, in Bath from its private owners in September last year for £4.1m, giving it its first outlet in the city.
The Croydon-based group manages a portfolio of seven hotels under a number of brands including Mercure Edinburgh Haymarket, AC Marriott Manchester Cable Street and Hampton by Hilton London Croydon. It also has a sister company that develops residential property.
Savills hotels team associate director James Greenslade said: “Lansdown Grove Hotel is a beautiful hotel located in a popular tourist destination and, as expected, we received significant interest and a number of offers.”
He said there was strong demand for hotels in key UK coastal and holiday destinations.
Carter Jonas South West commercial partner Philip Marshall added: “This acquisition represents an exciting addition to Axcel’s portfolio and is evidence of its team’s commitment to enhancing their presence in Bath and other key markets in the UK.
“Lansdown Grove Hotel is a landmark building, located in one of the city’s most prestigious areas. It provides Axcel with a great opportunity to build on the hotel’s heritage, to create a vibrant destination for Bath and the wider region.”
The Lansdown Grove had been part of the Country Living Hotel group, whose overall owner the Specialist Leisure Group ceased trading in May due to the impact of Covid-19.
Wigan-headquartered Specialist Leisure also owned a number of UK, Europe and worldwide tourism and travel-related businesses spanning hotels, travel agents, river cruises, and holiday firms.
These included Shearings, the coach holiday brand which had been in business for 117 years, National Holidays (trading as Caledonian Travel), UK Breakaways and Wallace Arnold Travel.
It operated 44 hotels under the Bay Hotels, Coast & Country Hotels and Country Living Hotels brands. The Lansdown Grove, along with the St George In Harrogate, were the only two hotels making up the Country Living Group.
The brand was launched two years ago as a spin-off from Specialist Leisure’s Coast & Country Hotels division and followed an extensive refurbishment of the Lansdown Grove in partnership with Country Living magazine.
