Acquisition plans
GRAND Hotel Group has pledged not to change the package formula of Rank Holidays Division’s Entertainment Hotels after finalising the purchase of the chain.
The hotels, which Rank renamed from Butlins Holiday Hotels, specialise in all-inclusive accommodation, food and entertainment and short-break packages beside the sea. They are at Brighton, Margate, Scarborough, Llandudno and Blackpool.
The Grand Hotel Group, which was set up earlier this year and now turns over £21m, will not reveal how much it paid for the hotels.
Grand Hotel’s operations and marketing director David Marriott said: “As far as travel agents and our coach, group and private customers are concerned, it will be business as usual. We are basically the domestic answer to the European and US packaged-holiday breaks and we have no plans to change what has proved to be a successful holiday package.”
Grand Hotel Group now plans to start a major investment programme on is new acquisitions. Marriott said the company are poised to commence a two-year enhancement programme on the 1,274 bedrooms in November. He added that the company would also be looking at the content and style of the entertainment.
Managing director Rod Rodgers said any growth of the group would be in the hotel and leisure sector as this is where the company’s interest lays. He added: “Our purchase of Entertainment Hotels is a long-term investment. All five hotels have a robust profit performance, an established place in a niche market, a high level of repeat business and an ever-increasing new customer base.”
Rank Holidays Division refused to comment on their sale.