MONTH IN REVIEW
MONTH IN REVIEW
www.hotelowner.co.uk
AWARDS
Thornton Hall
awarded AA
Silver Star Award
Thornton Hall, the luxury four-star
hotel situated in the heart of the Wirral
countryside, has been awarded an AA
four Silver Star rating for its “exceptional
standards of hospitality, service and
cleanliness”.
Introduced in 2015, The AA’s Hotel
Silver Star status is defined as “Highly
recommended hotels offering a superior
level of quality within their star rating,
high standards of hotel keeping, in
particular, hospitality, service and
cleanliness and an AA Rosette award for
the quality of their food.”
According to the inspector’s report,
“the management, proprietors and
staff at Thornton Hall have reinforced
their efforts in many aspects of the
inspection process. New team members
and new operating standards have
been established, and importantly have
shown a lift to the guest experience at
Thornton Hall. Results were extremely
positive and were comfortably in line
with The AA’s exacting standards to
achieve their Silver Star award.”
Over the past five years the hotel has
experienced “substantial investment”
including improved spa facilities and
extensive interior refurbishment across
bedrooms, function rooms and The
Lawns restaurant.
General manager, Geoff Dale, said:
“We’re delighted to have received a
four AA Silver Star Award, which is
testament to the tireless hard work and
dedication of our entire team. We look
forward to what else 2019 has in store
and continuing to offer an exemplary
guest experience.”
6
www.hotelowner.co.uk
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
HOTEL INVESTMENT ACQUISITIONS
Village Hotel Club has revealed its
“aggressive expansion” plans to open
five hotels over the next two years, with
a further 15 sites planned by 2026.
Executive chairman Gary Davis
announced the plans as the hotel chain
opened its 30th hotel this month, in
Filton, in what he called the “heart of
Bristol’s technology and business hub”.
According to the group, the
development of the business will
cement the hotel chain’s “significance
as a big employer in regions across
the UK”, with the group investing £24m
and employing 120 people per hotel – a
total planned investment of £480m over
the next eight years.
Davis said: “At Village Hotel Club,
we do things differently. For us it is
all about being a part of the local
community – not only through
investment in the local area, but in
offering both guests and local residents
alike the opportunity to take advantage
of our full lifestyle offering.
“We offer more than just rooms, but
a thriving hub for locals, gym goers, the
business community and guests for our
events, such as our hugely popular live
tribute acts.”
He added: “We are continuing to
innovate and develop the product with
the modern visitor and resident in mind,
and I look forward to working with the
entire Village team to ensure that we
continue to deliver success.” Whitbread has completed a freehold
deal to purchase the Twilfit House
development site in Dublin 1 for a new
build 180-bedroom Premier Inn hotel.
The purchase is Whitbread’s
first freehold acquisition in Dublin
and represents a significant step
in Premier Inn’s expansion into
Ireland as the business looks to
fulfil a requirement for 2,000-2,500
bedrooms in Dublin.
Kevin Murray, head of acquisitions
(North & Ireland) for Whitbread, said:
“Securing Twilfit House is an important
landmark in Premier Inn’s expansion
into Ireland and builds strong
momentum to our acquisition drive
in Dublin. Being close to many major
tourist attractions and great transport
links makes Twilfit House an excellent
location for a Premier Inn hotel and we
expect it to trade very well on opening.
“The deal marks Whitbread’s first
freehold investment in Dublin city
centre and we are actively pursuing
other live freehold and leasehold
opportunities, including potential
office-to-hotel conversions and going
concern purchases, as we seek
to secure up to 2,500 Premier Inn
bedrooms in the city.”
Whitbread has acquired the freehold
on the Twilfit House site from Abarta
Investments ICAV. The investment
fund had previously secured full
planning permission from Dublin City
Council to build a 180-bedroom hotel
on the site. The planning consent was
upheld by An Bord Pleanála in late
December 2018 and, upon expiration
of the existing tenancies, Whitbread
will demolish the existing three-storey
Twilfit House building and construct a
new seven-storey Premier Inn hotel on
the site.
Village Hotel Club
to invest £480m
in ‘aggressive’ UK
expansion plans
We’re delighted to have
received a four AA Silver
Star Award, which is testament
to the tireless hard work and
dedication of our entire team
Geoff Dale , General manager,
Thornton Hall
Whitbread
acquires Dublin
freehold for 180-
room Premier Inn
February 2019