Shearings rebrands as Specialist Leisure Group

Richard Calvert, chief executive of the Specialist Leisure Group, said: “Shearings Holidays is a marquee brand, synonymous with delivering great value holidays for the over 55s and the UK’s largest escorted tour company. However, having it in the group’s name often causes confusion, as people don’t grasp the scale and range of the operating companies within the group.

"We have 2600 team members, 45 hotels, multiple brands, products and destinations. Our new group holding company name should help us maximise the visibility to the business community of who we are, what we are about and where we are going.”

Specialist Leisure Group said it will continue to invest in its businesses with plans to future proof each of its brands, including the ongoing multimillion-pound refurbishment plan to its hotel portfolio.

Earlier this year the group announced a licensing agreement with Hearst to relaunch some of its hotels as Country Living hotels, of which the Lansdown Grove hotel in Bath has relaunched, and the St George in Harrogate is relaunching next month.

It also operates the Coast and Country Hotels group and Bay Hotels brands and owns the freehold to most of its properties. Coast & Country has 15 hotels in its portfolio, while 30 operate under the Bay Hotels brand.

The group is owned by private equity investor Lone Star Funds.

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