Pennington Hotels acquires two historic Lakeland Inns

The newly acquired venues will be re-branded under the family-run Pennington Hotels next month and will sit alongside Pennington Hotel, Coachman’s Quarters B&B, and Sella Park Country House Hotel in the group’s portfolio.

“The Boot Inn and the Pooley Bridge Inn are both historic properties that are firmly rooted within their communities,” said Craig Lowery, general manager of Pennington Hotels and Muncaster Castle, which is also owned by the Pennington family.

“We intend to ensure that they retain this strong community focus, while also bringing the standard of the rooms and food up to the high quality people have come to expect from Pennington Hotels. We want to create nice inn environments for locals and tourists alike.”

Different audience​

The nine-bedroom Boot Inn dates back to 1578 and, like all Pennington properties, is situated in the western Lake District. The 19th Century 11-bedroom Pooley Bridge Inn is in a charming village in the north east of the national park, marking a departure for the company, bringing with it new opportunities.

Iona Frost-Pennington, owner of Pennington Hotels, added: “The Pooley Bridge Inn allows us to take the Pennington brand into a new area for the first time and will allow us to market the western Lake District to a different audience.

“Similarly, people who are familiar with the quality experience they receive at Pennington Hotels will know they will be able to expect consistently high standards at both inns.

“Both of these properties are community institutions and we would like to work with local people, and suppliers, to make the inns fundamental in ensuring the future prosperity of the communities in which they reside.”