Leisure operator H&M Hotels makes first acquisition with Lake District deal

A hotel in the Lake District is set to undergo an extensive refurb following its acquisition by a newly formed hotel group.

Stonecross Manor Hotel in Kendal is the first venue to be acquired by leisure operator H&M Hotels, which has plans to snap up additional sites in the near future.

The company was advised on the transaction by hotel management firm Onecall Hospitality, which will operate the 30-bedroom venue on its behalf.

Onecall MD Mark Chambers said: “Stonecross Manor Hotel is one of Kendal’s best known hotels and is well loved by locals and visitors to the Lake District alike.

“In recent years it has suffered from a lack of investment. We will be making an immediate start on a refurbishment programme, which will encompass the bedrooms, bar, restaurant and function rooms.”

He continued: “The aim is to restore the hotel to its position as a focal point within the community, as a venue for dining out, events and functions and to rebuild the tourist trade.

“It is our ultimate intention that Stonecross Manor Hotel will be the first of a unique collection of hotels of character under the ownership of H&M Hotels.”

Dating back to the 1850s, Stonecross Manor’s position just 10 minutes from the M6, not far from the West Coast mainline, saw it evolve into a popular gateway destination.

H&M Hotels is a sister business to Everbright Lodge, the owner of the Rossett Hall Hotel in Wrexham and the Wild Pheasant in Llangollen.

Onecall’s expanding managed hotel portfolio also includes Provincial Hotels and Inns, the investment firm that acquired 11 pubs and hotels in Lancashire from Lancaster-based Mitchell’s in 2016.

Mark Worley of advisory firm Christie & Co acted as agent for the sale of Stonecross Manor Hotel.