Specialist business property advisor, Christie & Co along with joint agents, Savills, has brought to the market Highbullen Hotel Golf & Country Club, set in the heart of rural Devon. The guide price is quote at £5m.
The hotel, golf and country club are set on a Victorian estate occupying circa 116.5 acres and feature considerable accommodation, events and leisure facilities, all of which have benefitted from extensive renovations and improvements since the current owners purchased the hotel.
The hotel and wider estate comprise 39 well-appointed en suite bedrooms in excellent condition, four self-catering cottages, two restaurants, Laura Ashley – The Tea Room, a billiard room and spacious guest lounges.
There are excellent facilities for events and weddings; catering for up to 400 guests in the main Palazzo function room which is served by its own kitchen and bar. In addition, the Palazzo contains two further meeting rooms for smaller conferences or events.
Leisure is at the heart of Highbullen with a range of facilities including an 18-hole USGA specification golf course, outdoor tennis courts, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, spa facilities, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, croquet, ¾ mile fishing beat (Salmon, Sea Trout and Brown Trout) on the River Mole, fully-equipped gym, multi-sports simulator and club bar.
Outline planning permission has been granted for the erection of 58 holiday home lodges within the grounds and an extension of 16 bedroom suites to the existing hotel. Reserved matters applications have also been submitted for four guest accommodation tree houses and 15 holiday lodges.
David Tearle, Resort Director at Highbullen comments, “We are extremely proud of Highbullen’s achievements during the Chapman family’s tenure, from the incredible feedback we continue to receive from our many guests to our numerous accolades and awards. We are grateful to our team who have worked so hard and with such passion to provide the best level of service to our customers and we are incredibly proud of the work we started in creating one of the foremost resorts in Devon.
“We are confident we will find an excellent buyer for Highbullen with the sale being jointly handled by two of the UK’s premiere hotel agents Christie & Co and Savills. I have the utmost trust in both agents to handle the details with honesty and integrity.
“With a planning application for treehouses and lodges in the final stages, the sale offers a fantastic opportunity for the full development of this exceptional resort. In the meantime, there will be no significant changes in the day-to-day running of our much-loved hotel as it is important we continue to maintain our extremely high standards and, as always, take pride in the hospitality and care of our guests.”
Stephen Champion, Director at Christie & Co is handling the sale and comments, “Highbullen presents extensive upside to any prospective purchasers whether it be through the numerous planning permissions in place to further develop the hotel and grounds or the opportunity to expand the current business with the facilities already in place.
“Hotels with this scope and potential rarely come to the market and we expect to see high levels of interest from a range of buyers including hotel groups, high net worth individuals, foreign buyers or developers looking at the planning permission in place.”
Highbullen Hotel Golf & Country Club http://www.highbullen.co.uk/