Waterfront Southport Hotel seeks new owners

The Waterfront Southport Hotel has been brought to market on behalf of Paul Davies and Sandra Mundy of James Cowper Kreston, the administrators of Waterfront Hotels Limited and Waterfront Southport Properties Limited, the beneficial owners of the hotel. Regarded as Southport’s only four-star hotel, the Southport Waterfront Hotel has recently undergone a multimillion-pound refurbishment and now offers 131 bedrooms, a reception, lounge, bar and restaurant and function suites, as well as including a 120-space basement car park. The sale also includes a fully built c.50,000 sq ft development opportunity adjacent to the hotel with potential for a variety of alternative uses – subject to the necessary consents. In total, the hotel and development site extends to two acres. The luxury hotel enjoys a waterfront position on Southport’s promenade, next to the Marine Lakes Events Centre, and boasts views of the Marine Lake and Southport’s coastline. The Marine Lake is set to benefit from a £75m investment as part of Sefton Council's regeneration plan, which will deliver a first-class theatre space, conference and exhibition centre, café and signature restaurant, and a water and light show installation located directly next to the hotel. The hotel is also located within a 15-minute drive of five championship golf courses, including Royal Birkdale. The iconic Southport links is set to host the British Open in 2026, which will draw in a significant number of visitors looking for accommodation. David Lee, regional director in Christie and Co’s North and Midlands Hotels team who is handling the sale: “With its waterfront views and ideal position near Southport’s many local attractions, the sale of the Southport Waterfront Hotel presents a prime opportunity to purchase a substantial, well-maintained hotel in a popular UK seaside town. “The regeneration of the Marine Lake area is expected to attract over half a million visitors to Southport each year and Royal Birkdale playing host to the Open in 2026 is expected to bring over 250,000 visitors to the area, so there is significant scope for a new owner to grow the business and increase turnover in the next few years.” Tom Cunningham, director in the Hotel Capital Markets team at Savills Manchester, added: “This is an exciting opportunity to acquire the long leasehold interest in a luxury seaside hotel. The property has benefited from a multimillion-pound refurbishment and comes with outstanding asset management and development potential, subject to planning.” Offers are invited for the hotel on a long leasehold basis, with 235 years left on the lease. The day-to-day operations remain unaffected as the administrators are continuing to trade the business as a going concern.