Both the Scottish site, Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, and the English property, Forest of Arden Country Club, are rated as four star hotels.
High quality redevelopment
Paul Flaum, CEO of Bourne Leisure, Warner Leisure’s parent firm, said: “We are delighted to add these two wonderful hotels to our portfolio, each with fantastic facilities and both in excellent locations, including our first ever hotel in Scotland. Our confidence in the future growth prospects of the company continues and we look forward to redeveloping the hotels to a high-quality signature Warner Leisure Hotels offering.
“The compelling brand and short break proposition, which includes entertainment, dining and daytime activities at the hotel, mean our guests continue to return to enjoy the unique experience that Warner Leisure Hotels offers. We very much look forward to introducing a whole new audience to the experience too.”
Scottish site
Warner Leisure Hotels’ first hotel in Scotland, Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, is a Grade A manor house set in over 1,000 acres and 30 minutes from Edinburgh city centre and 50 minutes from Glasgow.
The hotel has 215 bedrooms, with two golf courses, two restaurants, two bars, a leisure club, tennis courts and conference facilities.
Midlands manifest
The Forest of Arden Country Club is a golf hotel, located in the English Midlands and a 20-minute drive from Birmingham. The hotel is set in over 10,000 acres of woodlands and has 214 bedrooms, multiple lounges and bars, two golf courses including a championship course, tennis courts, a leisure club and conference facilities.
Prior to their relaunch under the Warner Leisure Hotels brand, both properties will continue to be independently managed under their current proposition.
Renovation investment
Bourne Leisure has been owned by asset manager Blackstone since 2021, during which time the real estate firm has invested over £450 million across Bourne’s holiday parks and hotels.
Blackstone’s commitment to Warner Leisure Hotels’ growth is reflected in its investment of almost £120 million to renovate, refurbish and expand the portfolio.
UK confidence
Lionel Assant, head of European private equity and James Seppala, head of European real estate, Blackstone, stated: “These acquisitions reflect our continued confidence not only in the UK domestic tourism sector but in the Warner Leisure Hotels brand.
“Acquiring these two landmark hotels marks the next step in the company’s growth story as we continue to look for opportunities to add high-quality hotels to the portfolio and to invest significant capital in repositioning them.”
Portfolio picture
Warner Leisure Hotels offers short breaks with curated food and drink, spas and live music. Hotels include the recently refurbished Heythrop Park, in the Cotswolds, which opened in September 2022, Studley Castle in Warwickshire, and the recently acquired Runnymede on Thames Hotel & Spa in Greater London, which is set to reopen in summer 2024.
The latest acquisitions take Warner Leisure Hotels’ total portfolio to 18, with over 4,000 rooms.
