A 46-bed hotel near the M5 motorway has been sold for an undisclosed sum, acquired by a joint venture between family-run Castlewood Hotels and the Vine Group.
The Gables – a Best Western property on Bristol Road in South Gloucestershire – was bought through a deal arranged by Solihull-headquartered Enterprise Hotels & Hospitality and Simon Steven Associates, who acted as joint agents for the vendor. The property had been marketed with a guide price of £1.75m, according to the agents, though the final sale price was not disclosed.
The new owners bring distinct but complementary backgrounds. Vine Hotels is a hotel management, consultancy and development business that operates a UK-wide portfolio of owned and managed properties. Its recent acquisitions include the Hotel Collingwood in Bournemouth, announced last month, as well as Bredbury Hall in Stockport, bought out of administration in May 2021, and Kenwood Hall in Sheffield, acquired in August 2016. The group’s portfolio also spans the Mercure Southampton Centre Dolphin hotel, further properties in Sheffield, and the Best Western Dartmouth Hotel, Golf & Spa. Castlewood Hotels, a family-owned operator, runs three Best Western hotels in the South East: the Abbots Barton Hotel in Canterbury, the York House Hotel in Eastbourne and the Burlington Hotel in Folkestone. This joint venture marks the group’s first foray outside its established South East heartland.
Garin Davies, chief executive of Vine Hotels, said the expansion of hotel and venue ownership and management was a key objective this year. “I am delighted that we have been able to add two new hotels in two months, showing our commitment to growth,” he said. “The Gables has great business development potential, with an ideal location for UK and international travellers visiting the Cotswolds and nearby tourist towns, while also serving commercial travellers commuting to Bristol and the wider south-west region.”
Strategic value and operational upside
The deal highlights the selective but confident mood among hotel investors, according to the advisers involved. Simon Stevens, founder of Simon Stevens Associates, said: “Following a competitive marketing process, we witnessed purchasers’ selective approach to the market, as investment yields continue to soften and price expectations continually come under scrutiny. In this instance, investors identified a clear strategic value-added opportunity and operational upside with the property and business that ultimately secured Vine Hotels’ commitment.”
Gavin Wright, founder of Enterprise Hotels & Hospitality, added that the transaction reflected “the ongoing confidence of investors in the UK hotel sector and the competitive appeal of properties in well-connected locations close to major cities.”
The Gables sits on a 1.8-acre site off the A38, roughly 20 minutes from Bristol and within easy reach of the M5 motorway. It offers 104 parking spaces, including two electric-vehicle charging points. The hotel’s facilities include meeting rooms capable of accommodating up to 200 delegates, a civil wedding licence for up to 150 guests, and reception space for 200 people. Its dining offer centres on a Marco’s New York Italian restaurant and bar – a brand associated with Marco Pierre White – which seats 80, alongside a refurbished bar that seats 40 and a patio area.
Beyond the current operations, the property holds potential for expansion. The hotel’s sales particulars include existing drawings for a new entrance, an additional 20 bedrooms and a spa facility. The site also offers scope for alternative uses, subject to planning permission, which adds further flexibility for the new owners.
The hotel’s location is well-suited to both leisure and business travel. It lies close to the Cotswolds and nearby tourist towns, while also serving commercial travellers commuting to Bristol and the wider South West region. The combination of motorway access and proximity to a major city has been cited by the advisers as a key driver of investor interest.
Previous ownership and legacy
The Gables was previously owned by Webb Hotel Group, a collection of family-owned and run properties based in the Midlands. The group’s founder, Michael Webb, acquired the hotel with his second wife, Jean, in 2007; the building had previously operated as the Bristol Inn from 2004 until that year. Following the sale, Webb Hotel Group retains its three remaining Midlands hotels: the Moor Hall Hotel & Spa in Sutton Coldfield, which Michael Webb bought in 1961, the George Hotel in Lichfield, acquired in 2000, and the Cathedral Hotel in Lichfield, acquired in 2016.
Angela Burns, chief executive of Webb Hotel Group, said: “I am pleased we have been able to secure the sale of The Gables and pass the hotel into the hands of experienced hoteliers who share our commitment to excellence in hospitality. We wish them every success and look forward to seeing the hotel prosper in the years ahead.”
