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The Oakman Group announced it has acquired The Woburn Hotel after signing a 25-year lease with The Bedford Estates.
The Woburn Hotel, which sits at the gateway to Woburn Abbey, is an 18th Century property with 48 luxury bedrooms and seven individual cottages within the grounds, as well as three conference and events spaces, a restaurant and a large bar.
The hotel was closed last year, due to the impact of Government restrictions, and Oakman is hoping to open the hotel on 17 May when indoor dining is permitted under the Government’s proposed hospitality roadmap. Oakman has already started the process of recruiting and is looking to create around 60 new jobs.
His Grace, the Duke of Bedford, said: “The Oakman Group has a proven track record over many years as high-quality operators. They also have a reputation as a business that builds relationships with local communities and their Chairman, Peter Borg-Neal, knows Woburn well – indeed, he used to live on the Estate. I am confident Oakman will safeguard our historic values whilst delivering a contemporary and hospitable offering of which we can all be proud.”
Dermot King, Oakman Group CEO, added: “Following our acquisition of The Seafood Pub Company, this represents another major step in delivering our vision for the business. The Woburn Hotel represents a significant addition to our existing portfolio which contains many historical coaching inns and remarkable buildings. The Woburn Hotel’s history and strategic position in Bedfordshire make it a superb venue for both the leisure and business traveller.
“We now have 225 bedrooms across The Oakman Group and we will be looking to further grow our capacity. We are developing our ability to provide compelling ‘stay-cation’ packages as well as ensuring we meet the needs of business travellers. As well as all the local attractions, The Woburn Hotel has the advantage of being only twenty minutes from Luton Airport and only ten minutes from the commercial centre of Milton Keynes.”
The group revealed the Woburn Hotel will be the 34th and largest property in its portfolio, giving them a total of 225 bedrooms across the 13 which offer accommodation.
