Wroxall Abbey hotel closes after 'lease terminated'

Wroxall Abbey hotel in Warwickshire has closed for the third time in six years.

The hotel shut down last week after the leaseholder’s tenancy was terminated and the estate repossessed, according to BBC reports.

The tenancy at the hotel had belonged to JGBM Hotel Limited. Paresh Thakkar, one of the directors of the firm, which took over running the hotel in 2022, told the BBC the termination was “a total shock”.

"From a personal standpoint I am extremely heartbroken as I had invested a substantial amount of time, money and care into ensuring the success of Wroxall Abbey Hotel,” he said.

"I would like to apologise to our guests, our beloved members of staff, past and present and the local community for any inconvenience caused as a consequence of the termination."

The hotel’s website now says it is "under construction" and the property received a number of negative TripAdvisor reviews in January, with complaints over the cold dining room, slow service and "undrinkable" wine.

Wroxall Abbey was previously a girl’s school and the country estate of architect Sir Christopher Wren before it relaunched as a hotel, which won four AA stars.

It has had a chequered history, with its operating company filing for administration due to financial difficulties in 2019. It reopened in 2021 following a refurbishment but was unable to recover from the impact of coronavirus restrictions and re-entered administration in 2022.

After taking ownership of Wroxall Abbey and reopening it in 2022, Thakkar said he had plans for a major investment in the property and promised to restore the reputation of the estate following its “negative press”.