There’s no denying the pandemic has made us all re-evaluate a few things – and one of the big ones is the amount of time we spend chained to our desks. If the work-from-home lifestyle has got you craving more variety, excitement and the chance to leave the 9-5 behind, buying a hotel could be the career change you’re looking for.
We know what you’re thinking. The hospitality industry has been decimated by the pandemic – who in their right mind would become the proprietor of a hotel now? And while, yes, coronavirus has taken its toll on travel, with a vaccine around the corner and the government desperate to reopen as much as possible, there is light at the end of the tunnel – and some beautiful hotels available at very attractive prices. Here are some of our favourites…
Buttle Farm, Wiltshire
If you’re looking for a manageable-sized property that can also serve as your home then they don’t come much better than Wiltshire’s Buttle Farm. On the market with Knight Frank for £1.75 million, this former working farm was converted in 2016 to offer bright, airy living spaces with a focus on minimising the environmental impact of keeping it running.
Comprising a series of farm buildings situated around a central courtyard, accommodation currently consists of the Chalk Barn, a two-bedroom, two bathroom cottage, and two guest suites already being offered as holiday lets. Having already attained VisitEngland’s 5*Gold rating, new owners could also expand the farm’s accommodation to include the former dairy (now an office) and a building currently being used as a butchery.
La Vue, France
If a larger establishment with a proven track record for booming business – as well as the opportunity for an international move – is more to your liking, La Vue presents a rare and attractive option. Located around an hour north of Bordeaux, this elegant former 17th Century distillery has been successfully operating as a boutique hotel and wedding venue since the Thomas family developed it in 2018.
La Vue currently offers 15 rooms, plus five three-bedroom self-catering gites, and is able to sleep up to 38 guests, while there is also planning permission in place to expand to a further 50 rooms. Should the new owners wish to develop, their guests will find themselves well served by the hotel’s numerous facilities – including an outdoor swimming pool, spa and bistro as well as numerous reception rooms and terraces.
Little Barwick House, Somerset
For those really looking to escape the rat race, few locales seem more ideal than this traditional country house in Yeovil, Somerset. Built in 1820 and now boasting Grade II-listed status, Little Barwick House was fully refurbished in 2000 and transformed into its current use as an AA 5* rated ‘restaurant with rooms’.
Offering guests the comforts and atmosphere of a private house, the main house at Little Barwick features four bedrooms, four bathrooms and numerous receptions rooms, including an elegant drawing room and sitting room, both with open fireplaces. There is also a self-contained three-bedroom cottage, with kitchen, dining room and living area, while the large grounds also include parking for five cars and gently sloping landscaped lawns with outside seating areas.
40 Winks, London
Not ready to leave the city just yet? Luckily for you one of the capital’s most unusual hotels is currently for sale. Small but perfectly formed, this four bedroom hotel is on the market with Savills priced at £2 million and located in an 18th Century townhouse in East London’s Stepney Green conservation area. Having been extensively restored in the 1990s, this is the first time the property has been offered for sale in more than 20 years, with the hotel having opened its doors to great acclaim in 2009.
The property’s beauty speaks for itself and over the years it has featured in numerous advertising campaigns and photoshoots. High ceilings and period features abound, including in the impressive kitchen, which features a 300-year-old fireplace and oak floor dating back two centuries, while the property also offers a home office, garden, large sitting room and dining room. Need more convincing? The current hotel business is often fully booked months in advance.
St. Nicholas Place, Norfolk
If your budget doesn’t run into the millions you don’t have to give up on your hotel-owning dreams just yet. St Nicholas Place in Norfolk may look like a large house from the outside, but inside it’s the quintessential English B&B. Offering 6,400 square feet of living space over three floors, the property offers ten well presented en-suite guest bedrooms, including a one bedroom annexe and a two bedroom suite with bathroom and dressing area, with a welcoming entrance hall, sophisticated dining room, sitting room and are reception room completing guest spaces.
For the proprietor, a further three kitchens, scullery and art room, plus private living spaces comprising three bedrooms and two bathrooms, make this the perfect proposition for a family looking to make a lifestyle change. And it’s all yours for £950k.
Tom Ford’s Chelsea townhouse is a design masterpiece…
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