Hotels and Guest Houses

We are Leading Lakeland Lawyers working with clients who own and manage hotels and guest houses.

There are literally hundreds of hotels, guest houses, B&Bs and other accommodation venues in the Lake District, including many second and investment properties which are let out on a holiday basis. Our hotel and guest house clients range from the small, simple and traditional to some of the UK’s most revered establishments with ‘six star’ facilities, awards and accolades.

With the ‘staycation’ trend in full swing, the Lake District’s hotels and guest houses have been a hive of activity, not just for visitors but for the owners and their families. Investing in the region’s accommodation market has increased greatly and many long-standing hotel and guest house owners have decided to sell their businesses or make plans for future generations to take over.

Here at Temple Heelis, we have acted on many and varied matters including the sale of a large, well known Lake District hotel, the purchase of a new boutique hotel and self-catering accommodation including employment advice, the sales of several traditional Victorian guesthouses throughout the region, the sale of property associated with a well-known Lake District hostel and associated owners’ accommodation, the sale of a large caravan park, the purchase of a guesthouse by overseas investors and the purchase of a house of multiple occupation to house the employees of a well-known hotel in the Lake District.

However, our hotel and guest house expertise goes well beyond the Lake District! We’ve acted for clients buying and selling all around England and Wales, including overseas clients extending their portfolio into the English market. Recent matters highlighted below.

Recent Matters

Sale of a traditional Victorian guest house in the heart of the Lake District. Ever popular, these properties are highly sought after when they come up for sale. This particular guest house benefits from a prominent position in the centre of a popular Lake District town.

Advising on the asset sale of a former country hotel which has now been converted into Airbnb apartments with several acres of garden.

Advising on the sale of a multi-million 10 bedroom country hotel located inside the Lake District National Park. This sale also included two detached self-catered holiday cottages. Our role included negotiating high-level warranties in the asset purchase agreement.

Advising on the share sale of this client’s long-standing family business. The sale included a well-known Lake District hotel with 23 bedrooms and located on a 12-acre site. Separate staff accommodation built on medieval ruins also formed part of the sale. We subsequently advised our client on private client matters to assist them in the future structuring of their personal assets.

Advising a client on the sale of a freehold of a 3 star, 15-room guest house in Wales. The guest house was sold as part of the client’s decision to relocate to the Lake District and retire. Temple Heelis’s residential property team members specialising in the sector assisted the client in his purchase of a home.

Advising on the purchase of a newly renovated 10-bedroom boutique guest house in the heart of the Lake District. We acted for the privately owned family company purchasing this state-of-the-art property which includes self-contained owners’ accommodation. We have also provided employment and commercial advice to the company, including advising on the transfer of a team of employees.

Sale of a 4-star, 7-bedroom Victorian guest house in the heart of Windermere village. This ‘gingerbread style’ property is ideally located for local shops and cafes as well as easily accessible to the popular tourist attractions throughout the Windermere and Bowness areas (and further afield!).

Acting for a company in the sale of a large freehold property which includes a walkers’ hostel with 7 bedrooms, a 2-bedroom self-catering cottage and separate owners’ accommodation.

Advised on the purchase, by an international investor, of a freehold guesthouse in the Lake District. This is one of many examples of investment in the hospitality and leisure sector by UK or overseas entrepreneurs.

Acted in a million-plus pound sale of a 4-star, 6-bedroom hotel in the centre of the Lake District. This large Victorian property is something of a landmark in the old area of Bowness-on-Windermere

One of many examples of acting for investors who buy second or additional properties for use as holiday lets. This particular property has 7 bedrooms and is let for families and groups in the Bowness area.

Regularly acting in the purchase or sale of hotels and guest houses throughout the region. The Lake District alone has several thousand different types of accommodation ranging from simple to ultra-sophisticated. Two recent guest house examples include: asset sale of a 5-bedroom guest house in Ambleside and asset purchase of a long-standing, popular guest house in Bowness.