Kaleidoscope Collection, the Bath boutique hotel group owned by Ian and Christa Taylor, has put one of its hotels on the market with a £8.5m price tag.
The Bird, Bath, pictured, on Pulteney Road was bought by the Taylors in 2018 for an undisclosed sum.
They have since invested heavily in it, creating 29 individually designed en suite guest bedrooms as well as a restaurant and bar, pictured below - complete with a large outdoor terrace – three dining domes and private dining options for those seeking a private culinary experience or function venue.
The Taylors, who bought The Bird, Bath – then known as County Hotel Bath – from Seasons Group, 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 often then sell on their hotels before acquiring others. The month before they took over County Hotel Bath they had sold their flagship four-star, 62-bedroom Abbey Hotel to US-UK group KE Hotels.
They did the same with No.15 Great Pulteney, which they acquired in 2016 as a row of unloved Georgian terrace houses, before renovating it into a multi-award winning 37-bedroom boutique townhouse hotel and then selling it three years later. It has since rebranded as No.15 by GuestHouse Bath.
As well as The Bird, Kaleidoscope Collection also owns the 31-bedroom Homewood at Freshford, also acquired in 2018 and now undergoing a £3m expansion, and Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa, a 32-bedroom historic Georgian country house near Warminster, which it took over in June last year.
Ian Taylor said: “The Bird has been a much-loved project by all those involved in its redevelopment and subsequent success as a hotel, and it is now ready to fledge the Kaleidoscope nest.
“My wife Christa and I share a passion to find those hotels which call to us as in need of love and attention, and to help them fulfil their potential.
“We always have our eyes peeled for the next project for the Kaleidoscope Collection and, in the meantime, we are excited to continue focusing our energies on the further expansion of Homewood and investing in the future of Bishopstrow.”
The Bird, Bath, is being marketed by agent Knight Frank. Its hotels team partner Henry Jackson said: “A truly unique offering in the beating heart of Bath, The Bird is a glorious example of a well-run, highly profitable independent hotel business, with unique interior design features in keeping with the owners’ mantra ‘luxury for the curious’.
“We expect a significant volume of interest from investors for this boutique hotel in one of the UK’s top tourist destinations, perfectly situated just a stone’s throw from Bath’s famous rugby stadium and a short walk from the historic Roman Baths, with bedroom views overlooking the stunning city centre and the city’s beautiful abbey.”
