Arora Hotels, one of the UK’s largest private hotel owner-operators, has announced its acquisition of The Buckinghamshire Golf Club, a move which will see the hotel group expand into the world of luxury sporting and leisure venues.
Arora Hotels will take over the management of the Denham-based club, and has pledged to use its luxury hospitality experience to reinvigorate the club, providing a new and enhanced experience for its members. The club is also the headquarters of the Ladies European Tour, which will be remaining on site under its new owners.
Commenting on the acquisition, Sanjay Arora, Director of the Arora Group. said: “We are delighted to announce the addition of The Buckinghamshire Golf Club to Arora Hotels’ portfolio of luxury properties. It is a stunning golf course with fantastic potential for future development, and as a keen golfer myself, I will take great pleasure and pride in having this as part of our portfolio and welcome our new colleagues to the group.”
He added: “Our team is hugely skilled in running luxury global brands and providing premium customer experiences, and we look forward to extending this expertise to the world of leisure and sports hospitality.”
Situated 18 miles from the centre of London, and 12 miles from Heathrow, The Buckinghamshire comprises an 18-hole championship golf course, Grade II-listed clubhouse, and mansion house (the Denham Court Mansion). The resort can also cater for meetings, events, incentives and weddings.
The course, which first opened in 1992, was designed by renowned architect and Ryder Cup captain John Jacobs, who turned the estate’s rolling parkland into a mature and challenging golf course. The quality of the layout and its handy location for London has seen the club attract numerous professional events over the years, including the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters for four consecutive years from 2012, while soon after it first opened it was a regular stopover for top European and Senior Tour events, staging the Senior Tournament of Champions from 1996-2000, and the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf European Final in 1997. For the last two years it has also hosted a sectional qualifier for the Women’s US Open.
The Buckinghamshire was owned by Japanese brewing company Asahi from the outset up until the end of 2016, when it was bought by Eagle Resorts, which operates a portfolio of golf clubs in the UK, including Old Thorns in Hampshire, Tracy Park in Bath, Chart Hills Golf Club in Kent and Castlemartyr Spa & Golf Resort in Ireland. It was not disclosed how much Eagle Resorts received from the sale to Arora.
Arora Hotels operates multiple global hotel chains, including InterContinental Hotel Group, Accor, Marriot and Hilton. The group is currently redeveloping a luxury country house hotel and spa nearby in Windsor, and it has recently opened the UK’s largest hotel of 2018, the Crowne Plaza London and Holiday Inn Express London at Heathrow’s Terminal 4.