Only a few months after being sold to the Starwood Capital Group, the Hilton Blackpool has been acquired by Britannia Hotels, and had a name change, twice.
In March 2018, Starwood, a global private investment firm, acquired a portfolio of seven Hilton-branded hotels from Park Hotels and Resorts (a Hilton company) in a deal understood to be worth £135m.
At that point, the 278-bed, 4-star hotel was being managed by Kew Green Hotels under a franchise agreement with Hilton Worldwide.
On 21 June, just three months later, the Blackpool Gazette reported that the hotel website was carrying the following message: “Please note that as of 26 June 2018, Hilton Blackpool will cease to operate as a Hilton hotel.” The hotel management was reported to be “remaining tight-lipped over who would be taking over”.
On 26 June, the Gazette carried photos showing the hotel without its Hilton branding. The report indicated that Hilton would cease operations at the site at midnight but that the hotel would remain open. The Gazette noted that there was still no word on who the new occupier of the building would be.
Two days later, on 28 June, the Gazette carried a story with the headline ‘Concern over new operator of former Blackpool Hilton’. It revealed that the hotel had been taken over by Cheshire-based Britannia Hotels (on 27 June). The newspaper reported concerns raised by civic leaders. Blackpool council leader Councillor Simon Blackburn was reported as saying that Britannia would not be their choice of hotel partner. Conservative group leader Counciller Tony Williams was reported as saying that Britannia catered to a “very different market” to that which Hilton attracted.”
It is unclear why Starwood chose to dispose of the hotel so soon after acquiring it. Starwood has been approached for a comment.
Britannia immediately renamed the hotel the Grand Hotel Blackpool. However, an online search for the hotel on hotel websites Booking.com and Expedia reveals the hotel listed under the name ‘Blackpool Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa’.
To try and clarify the situation, Britannia Hotels was contacted for an explanation. Within two hours a response was received from the central reservations team confirming that the name for the former Hilton Blackpool is ‘Blackpool Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa’. The email indicated that the website, which shows the hotel as the Grand Hotel Blackpool, will be updated soon. It is not known why Britannia has chosen to rename the hotel.
The hotel opened in 1982 as ‘The Pembroke’. It became the Stakis Blackpool in 1996 before becoming part of the Hilton group in 1999. The hotel was put up for sale in 2013 but no buyer was found. Park Hotels and Resorts was formed in January 2017 as a spin-off of Hilton.
As at today, 27 July 2018, Britannia Hotels’ website shows a portfolio of 60 properties. Its latest acquisitions, listed at www.britanniahotels.com/new-hotels are:
Grand Hotel Blackpool (to be updated to read Blackpool Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa)
Grand Hotel Sunderland
Hollins Hall Hotel & Country Club, Baildon, West Yorkshire
Sprowston Manor Hotel & Country Club, Norwich
Meon Valley Hotel & Country Club, Southampton
Grand Hotel Gosforth Park Newcastle
For more information about Britannia Hotels, go to www.britanniahotels.com
