Singer-songwriter and former child star Charlotte Church has opened a wellness retreat in Mid-Wales called The Dreaming. Found in the Elan Valley, The Dreaming offers short residential retreats with daily wellness activities and longer retreats with specialist practitioners. The Dreaming sits on what was once Rhydoldog House, the former home of Laura Ashely. The grounds boast waterfalls, rocks and caves and guests are offered a programme of activities, able to choose how much or how little they want to participate in. Charlotte Church commented: “I have regularly tried to use my platform to ca ..read more

Hotel Gotham Manchester has changed ownership as the brand gears up for a UK roll-out. Previous owners Bespoke Hotels have handed over the controlling shares in the business to property company Marshall CDP. Bespoke will continue to operate the 60-bedroom venue as well as being the franchisor for Hotel Gotham Manchester and Gotham Collection. The Gotham Collection is set to expand, with a sibling site due to open in Bristol next year. A spokesman for Hotel Gotham Manchester commented: “Such arrangement provides for continuity in Hotel Gotham operations, and allows both Bespoke Hotels Ltd and M ..read more

Aubrey Park Hotel has been acquired by Somani Hotels (St Albans) Limited, marking the company’s second purchase of the year and third in the portfolio. Knight Frank completed on the sale of the 137-bedroom hotel near St Albans after receiving ‘multiple offers’ for the property. This is the second hotel Knight Frank has sold to the Somani team this year following on from the recent acquisition of One Mill Street in Luton which comprises 44 bedrooms. The company also owns The Bell Hotel in Epping. Situated in Hertfordshire, Aubrey Park hotel was originally an 18th farmhouse and comprises 137 bed ..read more

Rudding Park in Yorkshire is to embark on an exciting new project to create a brand new five-star country club within its grounds. Planning has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council for the new development, which is part of a wider plan that has been evolving since 2004. The proposal at Rudding Park includes the creation of a tennis facility, country club and a family facility, which will be rolled out in three phases with an estimated investment of between ‘£30m and £40m’. Speaking to BH, managing director Peter Banks said that the idea is to have a ‘five-star country club in Yorkshire’ t ..read more

The Swan in Grasmere has reopened following an 18-month refurbishment spearheaded by its owners, the Inn Collection Group. The 38-bedroom hotel and restaurant has given its bedrooms, restaurant and bar area a multi-million pound revamp to mirror the brand’s ‘eat, drink, sleep and explore’ ethos. The Swan became The Inn Collection Group’s fourth site in The Lake District when it was acquired in March 2020. Originally built in 1650, The Swan is one of the oldest establishments in the national park.  Speaking on the reopening, part of the husband-and-wife team that runs The Swan, general man ..read more

Middleton Hotel in York, part of the Daniel Thwaites portfolio, has completed a refurbishment across a collection of its bedrooms to further advance its ‘long-term restoration plan’. The four-star property, which is home to 56 bedrooms within five listed buildings, has unveiled new looks at 18 of its bedrooms, as well as an upgrade to its public spaces. Air-conditioning, windows and insulation have all been refurbished or replaced at the Grade-II listed Lady Anne building. The design vision – brought to life by interior designer Rachel Wootton – gives a nod to both the history and lo ..read more

A hotel and wedding venue in Kent that shut last April has reopened as part of a new UK group. Larkfield Priory Hotel near Aylesford has relaunched as Hamlet Hotels Maidstone after a refurbishment to its bedrooms and public spaces, marking the first open property in the Hamlet Hotels portfolio. The site closed suddenly last April, with rumours circulating that the property was being used to house asylum seekers, but were later rubbished by the Home Office. All 53 bedrooms have been given a refresh and Hamlet Restaurant is also now open, serving a ‘international menu for lunch and dinner’ plus ..read more

The Storrs Collection has acquired luxury B&B Lindeth Fell Country House to add to its portfolio. The 14-bedroom property will be operated alongside Storrs Hall as part of the Collection. Lindeth Fell is situated in seven acres of its own private gardens – designed by landscape architect and author Thomas Mawson – overlooking the lake on Lyth Valley Road in Windermere.   It was built in 1907 and has been owned and run by the Kennedy family for almost 40 years and own a number of awards since. The sale of the property was managed by the Hotel Agency team at commercial real estate ..read more

Hotel employers and their HR teams need to be particularly mindful of the unique challenges that many working women face. By providing the right support and policies, not only will hotels reduce the risk of legal claims, they will also foster a happier workplace thereby improving productivity and reducing turnover. Here, Louise Attrup and Eleanor Parkes from Debenhams Ottaway outline three key employment issues affecting women that hotels should keep on top of this year. Sexual harassment The hotel industry has seen some unfortunate sexual harassment cases. In Southern v Britannia Hotels ..read more

Hotel operator Splendid Hospitality has invested £22m into a 100-year lease extension of The County Hotel in Upper Woburn Place, Bloomsbury in London. The deal was done with The Bedford Estates, the largest landowner in Bloomsbury and will allow Splendid Hospitality to deliver a ‘significant’ capital investment into the hotel and enhance its offering. The County Hotel is currently closed and Splendid will carry out an extensive renovation before reopening the business. Nadeem Boghani, owner of Splendid Hospitality, said: “This deal signals a significant investment opportunity for Splendid Hosp ..read more