The administrators of Von Essen Hotels have instructed property agents Christie + Co to sell 26 sites from the portfolio.
The properties are located throughout England Scotland and Wales, and include some of the most iconic country house hotels, stately homes and castles.
The sale of the hotels has been anticipated since Von Essen Hotels Ltd, the holding company of the 28-strong luxury hotel group, fell into administration in April 2011 after it failed to make repayments on its reported £250m of borrowings.
Andre Davies, who founded and chaired the group, was released from his position as director of Von Essen on 20 April upon the appointment of administrators. Davies continues to own four hotels under his own name.
Group or individual sale
MD of Christie + Co, Chris Day, said the agency has already been contacted by buyers interested in securing some or all of the 26 properties just placed on the market, and expects further interest in the group as a whole or in parts.
“Within the UK group are some of the most historic hotels in the world including Cliveden and The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath. The opportunity to own and operate such unique properties will not be repeated for generations and interest from UK and overseas buyers will be intense.”
The 26 hotels up for sale are classified as one of three types: classic hotels, luxury family hotels and country hotels.
The properties up for sale are:
- Amberley Castle, near Arundel, West Sussex
- Buckland Manor, Near Broadway, Gloucestershire
- Cliveden, Taplow, Berkshire
- Lower Slaughter Manor, Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire
- The Royal Crescent, Bath
- The Samling, Windermere, Cumbria
- Sharrow Bay, Ullswater, Cumbria
- Ston Easton Park, near Bath
- Thornbury Castle, near Bristol
- Ynyshir Hall, Machynlleth, Powys, Wales
- Seaham Hall, Seaham, County Durham
- The Elms, Worcester
- Fowey Hall, Fowey, Cornwall
- Ickworth, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
- Moonfleet Manor, Weymouth, Dorset
- Woolley Grange, Bradford upon Avon, Wiltshire
- Bishopstrow House, Warminster, Wiltshire
- Callow Hall, Ashbourne, Derbyshire
- Congham Hall, King’s Lynn, Norfolk
- Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian
- The Greenway, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
- Homewood Park, Bath
- Lewtrenchard Manor, Okehampton, Devon
- The Mount Somerset, Taunton, Somerset
- New Park Manor, Brockenhurst, Hampshire
- Washbourne Court, Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire