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The Ravensworth Hotel has been sold for an asking price of £1.1m to the Inn Collection Group, which has already obtained planning permission to convert the hotel into accommodation for its staff.
The Ravensworth property was originally built in the 1850s as a family residence and was later converted into a 12-bedroom hotel. Over the years, the building has undergone significant refurbishments and reconfigurations.
Hotels in the Lake District have reported significant shortages of staff following the global pandemic and Brexit, as well as the challenging housing costs.
The Inn Collection Group is owned by the Harris family trust and is backed by Kings Park Capital. It has been active in building the group’s portfolio of hotels and inns over the last few years and now has 31 sites across the North of England and North Wales. The group also intends to offer accommodation to staff in a bid to encourage more people to join the hotel industry.
Sean Donkin, managing director of the Inn Collection Group, said: “At the Inn Collection, our success really stems from loving what we do, which is operating outstanding sites where our customers can eat, drink, sleep and explore from exceptional locations with a cracking team of people at all levels.
“The Lake District has so much to offer people from the UK and further afield, but the challenges around housing, especially for those working in the tourism sector are well known.”
He added: “We have acquired The Ravensworth to help ease that burden for our staff and to bring people into the community here as well as ensuring the best possible experience for the guests at our hotels throughout the Lake District region.”
Martin Davis, director of hotel and leisure at Graham + Sibbald, who handled the sale, said: “Having sold the Glenridding Hotel in Ullswater to the Inn Collection Group back in February, it was good to work with them once again on their acquisition of another prominent Lake District property.
“It is great to see the Group and the local authority working together and using innovative thinking to come up with such a practical and sensible solution to the ongoing staff shortage problem in the Lake District tourism industry.”
Nick Hood, the former owner of the Ravensworth, added: “It’s been a joy to be the custodian of The Ravensworth over the last 13 years and we are certain that it is in good hands. It is exciting to hear about the Inn Collection Group’s plans for the property and help bring more skilled people into the vibrant tourism industry in the Lake District.”
