Starboard Hotels acquire their 15th property

Derby’s Riverlights Holiday Inn hotel, a prime destination for tourists and business visitors to the region, has been acquired by Starboard Hotels, marking the completion of a busy and successful year for the privately owned operator of multi-branded hotels.

As one of the UK’s fastest growing hotel businesses, the acquisition of the 105 bedroomed Holiday Inn Riverlights, sees the Starboard portfolio rise to 15 hotels across the UK, with four new hotels being added this year alone.

The Holiday Inn, a full service hotel with conference and banqueting facilities, was brought to the market by CBRE on behalf io Moorfield Group for offers in ecess of £6m. In addition to the hotel, Starboard have also purchased two retail untis with a view to expanding the hotel restaurant ad bar.

Coutts & Co. provided senior debt for the acquisition which is now the 14th hotel to be funded by the bank.

Heiko Figge, Head of Hospitality, Leisure & Operations, Moorfield Group: ““We are pleased to have sold the popular Derby Riverlights Holiday Inn hotel to such an experienced and expert operator as Starboard and would like to thank the General Manager and her team for having done such an outstanding job during our ownership of the property. The team has continually delivered the highest room occupancy in Derby and I am sure that the hotel will continue to flourish under Starboard’s ownership.” This latest acquisition also expands Starboard’s IHG (Intercontinental Hotel Group) property portfolio to six hotels under this global brand.

Today’s announcement further strengthens Starboard Hotels presence in the UK hotel and hospitality sector. Founder and Managing Director Paul Callingham said: “It has been a tremendous year of growth for Starboard and we are delighted to have made another important acquisition. We welcome the team from the Holiday Inn Derby into the Starboard ‘family’ and we are looking forward to working with the General Manager Carrie-Louise Holleran and her team.“

Kerian Barnes, Group Operations Director for Starboard endorsed Paul’s comments. “This is a great hotel for us to take over and utilise all our experiences from our other IHG properties to improve facilities and the overall guest experience.”

The purchase of the hotel also marks an exciting new era for this modern, centrally positioned property as its new owners are already drawing up plans to improve the facilities and create new jobs. As Kerian explains: “We are looking at developing the ground floor at the Holiday Inn, where we will be expanding the hotel, introducing the open lobby concept nd improving the restaurant and bar which will create new jobs for the area.”

The Holiday Inn purchase comes less than a month after Starboard acquired the Windermere Manor Hotel in the Lake District. With the new year firmly in their sights, Starboard Hotels are anticipating further acquisition news early in 2018 in addition to the commencement of building work on the new Hampton by Hilton hotel at London’s Park Royal, due to start in the Spring.

It now brings the total number of beds under Starboard Hotel’s ownership to 1424 under brands including Best Western, Ibis, Days Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn.

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Editors: For further information please contact Nicolette Webster, Flex Media nicolette@flex-media.co.uk. or call 07798 628429.

www.starboardhotels.com

Notes to editors

Starboard Hotels is an award winning owner and operator of franchised hotels under the world’s leading brands such as Holiday Inn Express (IHG), Days Inn (Wyndham), Best Western and since June 2015 also Accor hotels.

Starboard is a specialist in small and medium size UK based hotels ranging from limited service hotels to full service properties.

Hotels in Starboard’s operating portfolio include the Best Western Carlton Hotel Blackpool, Days Inn Wetherby, Holiday Inn Express Greenock, the multi award-winning Holiday Inn Express Burnley and a number of Ibis Hotels in key UK cities such as Birmingham, Sheffield, Leicester, Plymouth and London Gatwick, the Windermere Manor Hotel, Cumbria.

Most recently, the Holiday Inn Express Burnley was presented with the IHG’s Developing People 2014 award for its outstanding achievements in encouraging people to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. The hotel also won the category of Best Small Group Hotel Employer in Hospitality in 2013 and placed fourth in the Top 50 Best Employers in Hospitality at the Best Employers in Hospitality Awards the same year. In 2010 the Holiday Inn Express Burnley has been awarded with the IHG Torchbearer EMEA Hotel award.

Starboard Hotels is accredited with Investors In People (IIP) and ISO 9001 and 1400 and has a number of ongoing active business projects in key UK locations.