News Birch Selsdon hotel up for sale after closure By Sophie Witts


The south London estate that includes the Birch Selsdon hotel has been put up for sale, less than two months after its closure. Savills has been appointed


to market the 198-acre Selsdon Park Estate in South Croydon on behalf of administrators Moorfields Advisory Ltd. The 181-room Birch Selsdon launched in Croydon last spring under managing director Ayo Akinsete, with two restaurants overseen by chef Lee Westcott. A total of £15.3m had been invested into the property over two years and it boasted facili- ties including three bars, six meeting and events rooms, a coworking space, gym, outdoor lido and tennis court. However, the hotel closed and


fell into administration just eight months later, with Moorfields blaming “cash constraints”. A report by administrators


Moorfields Advisory said the hotel had fewer guests than expected despite a boost in visitor numbers during the summer months. Around 163 staff were employed by the hotel when it appointed administrators. “Since opening its doors, occupancy rates were lower


The hotel, part of a 198-acre estate in south London, had £15.3m invested in it before it closed last year


than expected and, although there was an upward trend for the months of May to August, occupation ultimately per- formed poorly against fore- casts,” the report said. “This resulted in lower turno-


ver than expected and, coupled with a significant fixed cost base and capex requirements, ulti- mately meant that the hotel was consistently operating at a loss.” Administrators said the company was “considered likely to fail with- out a further capital injection”. The site previously operated


as the De Vere Selsdon Estate before it was taken over in 2022 as part of a joint venture between Birch Hospitality and real estate investment firm Aprirose. The two companies also opened the Birch Cheshunt hotel in Hertfordshire on a 55-acre estate in 2020, but it closed and fell into administra- tion the same week as its sister Selsdon site last November. Savills has been appointed


to advise on the disposal of the long leasehold interest in Birch Selsdon and part freehold


interest in the estate, with no guide price. Phoenix Chow, associate director, hotel capital markets at Savills, said: “We anticipate strong interest from the mar- ket for this opportunity, appeal- ing to a diverse range of capital sources and accommodating various business plans and asset preferences.” Savills put Theobalds Park


Estate, home to the Birch Ches- hunt, on the market in December.


sophie.witts@thecaterer.com W Hotels to ditch ‘party hotel’ image with redesign


W Hotels is seeking to move away from its reputation as a “bit of a party hotel” brand, according to a Marriott Interna- tional executive. Helen Leighton, vice-presi-


dent, luxury brands and com- munications EMEA at Marriott, said W Hotels was undergoing an “evolution and transforma- tion” to match the fact that its customers have “grown up”. The W brand was launched


in 1998 by Starwood Hotels and opened its first UK property in London’s Leicester Square in 2011. In 2016, Marriott acquired the entire Starwood portfolio in an £8b deal. Leighton said the business


was taking the brand in a new design direction and focusing


4 | The Caterer | 26 January 2024 The company launched the W Edinburgh hotel in November 2023


on materiality and local sourc- ing. “The programming will also look at what our guests care about, whether that be art or social issues. “It became a bit of a party


hotel, but the new W will be much more elevated and sophisticated.” Her comments follow the


launch of the W Edinburgh, which opened in November after seven years of development. W Hotels is set to open its


third UK property at Gary Nev- ille’s £400m St Michael’s devel- opment in Manchester in 2027. Marriott is based in Mary-


land in the US, and its portfolio includes 8,600 properties oper- ating under 30 brands in 139 countries and territories.


www.thecaterer.com


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