Notable hotels up for sale

The owners of Kilworth House Hotel & Theatre, Celia and Richard Mackay, have decided to retire and now the Grade II listed Victorian country estate with 38 acres of landscaped parkland, offering fine dining, luxury accommodation and an open-air theatre has been put on the market.

The AA 4-Red Star hotel in rural Leicestershire has 44 individually themed guest bedrooms with countryside views, as well as two restaurants, four private dining rooms and eight conference rooms, catering from small meetings to large corporate events, weddings and parties.

Its award-winning open-air theatre opened in 2007 and plays host to West End musicals and concerts during the summer months. The Mackays have owned the hotel for 23 years after purchasing the property in 1999 and carefully transforming it into luxury accommodation. It was built in the 1880s for the then High Sheriff of Leicestershire but had been converted into flats before the couple set off on their mission.

Jeremy Jones, head of hotel brokerage at Christie & Co, says: “Kilworth House Hotel & Theatre is a unique hospitality and musical theatre experience in the heart of the country. It is a labour of love for a listed heritage building and home to one of the UK’s most imaginative theatrical settings. This retirement sale presents an opportunity for somebody to grow the business even further, building upon its current fine reputation.”

Tom Cunningham of Savills adds: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire a renowned country hotel that includes two restaurants, conferencing facilities and an open-air theatre. It offers the best of both worlds: a secluded rural location as well as easy access to motorways.”

Cricklade House Hotel & Spa, a country house hotel overlooking the Wiltshire countryside, has also gone on sale, with a guide price of £3,500,000 for the freehold/long leasehold interest.

The property has 45 ensuite guest bedrooms in the main hotel and courtyard rooms, and its Fritillary Spa offers a heated indoor swimming pool, spa bath, sauna, steam room and five treatment rooms. As well as a restaurant there are two function facilities, including a dedicated event space for up to 120 guests, suitable for weddings, corporate functions, and private events.

Steve Young, chief executive of Purico Group, the hotel’s major shareholder, says: “We are incredibly proud of the achievements we have made at the hotel over the last year or so. We have improved the physical structure, upgraded the bedrooms, improved customer satisfaction rating, and are outperforming our peers locally. As such, after around eight years of ownership, it is time for us to pass on the hotel to new owners and for us to re-invest in other projects, as we leave the hotel in the best shape it has been for decades.”

Ed Bellfield, regional director at Christie & Co, is managing the sale process and says: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire a well-known hotel and spa business in the Wiltshire countryside. The property sits in over 29 acres of parkland and gardens, with extensive leisure opportunities including tennis, pétanque, foot and disc golf. The sale of the hotel provides an opportunity for a new owner to capitalise on its prime location on the edge of the Cotswolds. The business has operated successfully for many years yet offers exciting value-add opportunities for new owners.”