Legacy to run Bournemouth's Orchid and Woodcroft hotels

07-Oct-2012 - Last updated on 26-Apr-2021 at 18:18 GMT

Tim Payne, recruited by Legacy to manage its new Bournemouth hotels

Legacy Hotels & Resorts has taken over the running of two hotels in Bournemouth, the Orchid Hotel and the Woodcroft Hotel, taking the company into the seaside resort for the first time.

The operator, which last week announced it was setting up a new company with branded hotel operator Longrose Buccleuch, will rebrand the 57-bedroom Woodcroft Hotel as Legacy Inn, Bournemouth while the 34-bedroom Orchid Hotel, which is situated on the same road, will become The Legacy Orchid.

Legacy chief executive Andy Townsend said the company had been approached by the owner of the two hotels to operate them and help 'realise their full potential'.

“They are different hotels in terms of what they offer guests but are both long established and we are very much looking forward to pushing them forward," he said.

Hotel management

Both hotels will be managed by Tim Payne, a hotelier with more than 20 years' experience working in Bournemouth. Payne worked at the city's Heathlands Hotel, East Cliff and Hotel Royale before moving to Elmers Court in Lymington seven years ago.

"We are delighted to have attracted Tim back to Bournemouth to spearhead our presence in the town," said Townsend. “He is a highly experienced and respected hotelier who has very strong local roots. His appointment will in itself be a great asset to the hotels and Legacy.”

Payne said he was looking forward to giving both hotels 'a bright future'.

“There is great potential in both properties and they are fixtures on the hospitality scene in Bournemouth,” he said. “Legacy’s management can bring benefits in terms of stability, added sales and increased marketing power."

The two new Bournemouth contracts take Legacy's management portfolio to 17 in the UK and Spain.