Hotels, Visitor Attractions and Leisure
Amongst other mandates, directors of Representation UK have been involved in negotiating the sale, purchase and financial restructuring of a number of well-known hotels in some of the UK’s best visited cities. We have advised on a variety of contractual and commercial issues relating to the running of stately homes, leisure destinations and visitor attractions. We also have a particular expertise in advising on a number of football club transactions (for further details please see our ‘Sports’ section).
The complexity of these sectors gives rise to a number of challenging issues. Some clients, for instance, feel they are being held hostage by web-based hotel booking sites, whilst others find themselves the target of occasional disreputable guests, who make unfounded complaints and threaten to post adverse comments on their websites if they are not financially compensated. Stately homes are expensive to run and accordingly have developed a number of inter-connecting businesses, comprising retail, adventure parks and concert venues, as well as hosting sporting events and developing farming partnerships.
We have advised on the structuring of many of these enterprises.
Track Record
Our background knowledge and experience gives us a useful insight into these important contributors to the UK economy, including the following:
-Purchase of the substantial four star Bridge Hotel & Spa Hotel, Wetherby, West Yorkshire;
-Corporate re-organisation advice; financial re-structuring and successful negotiation concluding with a seven figure debt write off of well-known West Midlands hotel group;
-Separate sale and purchase of the Minster Hotel, York;
-Contract advice for Lightwater Valley and and another high profile, nationally regarded theme park operator based in the North of England, two separate, popular and well-run theme parks and resorts in North Yorkshire;
-Commercial contract advice to Castle Howard, one of the UK’s most prestigious stately homes;
-Sale of Best Western Monk Bar Hotel for an eight figure sum;
-Advice on re-structurings, commercial advice and sale/purchase of various football clubs including: AFC Bournemouth, Bradford City, Carlisle United, Port Vale, QPR, Southend United and York City.
