Robin Hutson's hotel businesses report increasing turnover

Robin Hutson’s Lime Wood Group and Home Grown Hotels have both reported increasing turnover for 2018.

According to documents filed with Companies House for the year ended 31 December 2018, turnover and pre-tax profit at Lime Wood Group, grew from £15.5m to £16.8m and £630,369 to £682,812 respectively.

The annual report said Lime Wood’s (pictured) sales had increased by 8% over the previous year, with an increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) before head office expenses of 9%.

Hutson is chairman and chief executive of Lime Wood Group, which includes the 33-bedroom, five-red-AA-star Lime Wood hotel in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, and Le Portetta in Courchevel, France, and is owned by billionaire entrepreneur Jim Ratcliffe.

Hotelier of the Year 2005 Hutson is also chairman and chief executive of Home Grown Hotels, which includes the Pig collection of six hotels and is 50% owned by Ratcliffe.

Home Grown Hotels, reported a 4% increase in turnover to £21.6m for 2018 and average occupancy of 93%.

The group's pre-tax profit dropped from £1.03m to £230,924, which took place as the company focused investment on the development of three new hotels. The Pig at Bridge Place near Canterbury, which opened in April this year, is “already showing strong occupancies and covers” and at the weekend was named as the top South East hotel of the year in the Sunday Times’ Best Places to Stay 2019 list. Meanwhile, the Pig at Harlyn Bay in Cornwall is due to open June 2020; and the Pig on the South Downs near Arundel, West Sussex, is set to open in spring 2021.