Inn Collection Group buys Harrogate’s Hotel St George

Northern pub company the Inn Collection Group has completed the purchase of the 90-bedroom Hotel St George in Harrogate for an undisclosed value.

The site, which includes the Swaledale restaurant and six function rooms, will continue trading under the group’s ‘Eat, Drink, Sleep and Explore’ pub with rooms brand before undergoing refurbishment and remodelling works later this year.

Inn Collection Group managing director Sean Donkin said: “The Hotel St George is an exciting acquisition for us as we continue to expand our customer base and imprint in Yorkshire while continuing to roll out our buy and build strategy as an operator.

“We have had Harrogate in our sights for a considerable time while identifying a site that is a fit with our ‘Eat, Drink, Sleep and Explore’ brand. We are delighted to have completed on this superb site which will be a tremendous asset for our customers and our portfolio of inns in the best UK locations.”

The property was one of 40 ex-Shearings hotel that came under Bespoke Hotels management. The Inn Collection Group acquired the venue from LaSalle Investment Management.

The purchase follows the Alchemy-backed Inn Collection Group’s acquisitions of Yorkshire venues the Dower House in Knaresborough, the Dean Court in York and the Ripon Spa hotel as the group continues to focus on new deal and organic growth strategies in Yorkshire, supported with banking from OakNorth.

Elsewhere in Yorkshire, the group is redeveloping Northallerton’s former police station into a 32-bedroom pub with rooms called the Northallerton Inn.

The group’s trading portfolio of pubs with rooms in Yorkshire includes the Stables at Whitby and the King’s Head Inn at Newton under Roseberry.

October saw the group re-open the 15th century coaching inn, the Black Swan in Helmsley, following a multimillion-pound refurbishment, while the business made its first expansion into Wales in December, with the purchase of the Swallow Falls hotel in Conwy.

Ward Hadaway corporate partner Imogen Holland provided legal advice on the Hotel St George acquisition with Silverstone and Bradley Hall advising on pre diligence. Gavin Wright, senior director (hotels and hospitality) at JLL advised on the sale on behalf of the vendors.