Red Carnation puts two hotels on the market for £5.5m

Red Carnation Hotels has put the luxury Summer Lodge Country House hotel and the Acorn Inn, both in Evershot, Dorset, up for sale off a guide price off £5.5m.

 

The five-AA-star Summer Lodge is set within 4.5 acres of landscaped gardens and features 25 suites and rooms and a three-AA-rosette restaurant.

 

Red Carnation bought the property in 2003 as its first site outside of London. Its previous owners, Nigel and Margaret Corbett, had run the hotel for 27 years.

 

The 10-bedroom Acorn Inn is a 16th-century property famous for its appearance in Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

 

Summer Lodge and the Acorn Inn have a combined turnover of just under £4m and there is “significant potential” to develop its rooms and leisure offer, according to property firm Knight Frank.

 

The sale also includes the village Post Office and a collection of cottages used as hotel letting and staff accommodation.

 

Chris Field of Knight Frank said: "This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire an award-winning country house hotel business in a popular tourism market in the heart of Dorset.

 

“This is an attractive prospect for an investor looking to either expand their portfolio in the luxury hospitality sector or for a new entrant to obtain their first foothold in the UK country house hotel market.”

 

Knight Frank, Savills and Rock Commercial have been appointed as joint sole agents to market the property.

 

Red Carnation runs 17 global hotels, including six in London, one in Edinburgh and two in Guernsey.