Advising on the sale of an iconic Welsh hotel
The Metropole Hotel & Spa, which had been independently owned and operated by the same family since 1897, has been sold to the Crest Hotels Group.
Capital Law’s corporate and property teams – including Duncan Macintosh, Marlies Hoecherl, Hannah Vosper, Sarah Hale and Cerith Bevan – advised the sellers – including family members Justin Baird-Murray and Sarah Hill – on the deal.
Featuring 109-bedrooms and extensive function facilities, The Metropole is one of the oldest in Wales. Located in Llandrindod Wells, it is close to Brecon, the gateway to the Brecon Beacons National Park and the university town of Aberystwyth to the west.
In recent years, the picturesque hotel’s facilities have been substantially upgraded and the range of services on offer to guests has been expanded – which widened the hotel’s customer base.
Duncan Macintosh, Partner at Capital Law, said:
To describe the Met as “iconic” is absolutely right. And to have acted for it and its owners for many years has been an absolute privilege. In recent years Justin, Sarah, and their management team have transformed the hotel and spa. It’s now a well-loved destination for businesses and holiday makers well beyond the boundaries of Wales. Theirs has been a very great achievement. Crest have acquired a splendid asset, and the Met a splendid new home.
Justin Baird-Murray and Sarah Hill, said:
When deciding to undertake such a massive step as selling our family business we knew we needed trusted partners to guide us through the sale. Duncan and his team at Capital Law have been exemplary in the professional and supportive way in which they handled the deal from start to finish.
The team at Capital has long experience of advising the hospitality sector, with clients including hotels, resorts, restaurants, and service providers.
Most recently, we advised private equity firm Averroes Capital on the MBO of Journey Hospitality – a provider of unique software solutions for the hotel and hospitality sector. Previously, we advised one of Cardiff’s most famous bars on their lease as they relocated.
Our employment and business immigration team also regularly supports businesses in the hospitality sector – especially since Brexit and the introduction of the new points-based immigration system. Meanwhile, our insurance experts have been busy since the start of the pandemic, reviewing dozens of business interruption policies for businesses (most of which in the hospitality industry) who saw their claims denied by their insurer despite being forced to close.
