Harrison Drury’s M&A team advises on Pinewood hotel deal

Manchester’s four-star Pinewood Hotel has been purchased by the owners of a Lake District hotel for an undisclosed sum.

The 58-bedroom Pinewood Hotel, situated near Wilmslow and Manchester Airport, has been acquired from Menzies Hotels by Pinewood on Wilmslow LLP, a partnership of the four directors from the Best Western Castle Green Hotel in Kendal.

The new owners, who were advised on the purchase by the mergers and acquisitions team at Harrison Drury Solicitors, have plans to further develop the site following the seven-figure deal and will rebrand the property to the Best Western Pinewood on Wilmslow.

Managing director Tim Rumney said the new management team is looking to identify further opportunities to improve the customer experience and financial performance of the business, and expects significant job creation through the growth of the team and longer-term development of the site.

David Filmer, associate at Harrison Drury, said: “This targeted acquisition provides Tim and his team with an exciting opportunity to reposition the Pinewood as an independent hotel, providing excellent facilities in a prime location.”

Tim Rumney commented: “We have been looking for an acquisition since we sold The Princess on Portland, Manchester in March 2008. The Pinewood Hotel is in a great location for corporate and leisure guests – close to the motorway network, four miles from Manchester Airport and 10 miles from Manchester city centre and close to the affluent town of Wilmslow.”

He added: “As an independent hotel, but under the brand of Best Western, we believe we will be able to reposition the hotel within the local community and provide an excellent facility for business users. We will work with the existing team and key personnel from the Best Western Castle Green Hotel in Kendal to bring new opportunities to this long established hotel.”