QHotel’s Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Resort has been selected by UK Sport as the UK’s bidding venue to host the prestigious 2015 Solheim Cup.
Forest Pines Hotel, in North Lincolnshire, boasts a 27 hole championship golf course and is widely recognised as one of the most beautiful courses in the country. If successful, Forest Pines will invest more than £500,000 into developing its golf course and establishing itself as a world class destination for sport, business and culture.
UK Sport, the government body for sport that is supporting the UK bid, chose the resort after it beat off stiff competition from a number of courses across the UK. Achieving selection as the host country for the Solheim Cup is part of UK Sports’ decade of sporting events, which includes the 2012 Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the 2018 World Cup football bid. The luxury resort will now compete against courses from across Europe to play host to in excess of 100,000 visitors during the week of play.
Set in 190 acres of countryside, the hotel has 188 bedrooms, three bars and restaurants plus nine meeting and conference rooms, with the largest – the Tennyson suite – catering for up to 370 delegates, making it a strong contender to host this prestigious sporting event. The tournament – the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup – has never been hosted in England.
Michael Purtill, Managing Director of QHotels said: “We are incredibly proud to be bidding for this event. It is very clear that the decision, which could bring £35m into the local economy, will have a positive legacy not only for Forest Pines, but for the North Lincolnshire region.
“The Forest Pines Hotel and Golf Resort is easily accessible from a number of major cities in the UK, and we are confident that we can provide a world class experience for all of our visitors should the bid be successful.
“Based on previous tournament figures, we anticipate around 25,000 to 30,000 visitors per day to the course. This kind of crowd would fill the local accommodation base for around 75 miles, benefitting hoteliers across the region, including Forest Pines’ sister hotels The Queens in Leeds, Tankersley Manor near Sheffield and Aldwark Manor Spa and Golf Hotel near York. 15,000 jobs would be created, and we will be looking for around 850 volunteers for the event, so you can see the broad ranging significance that the Solheim Cup could have.”
A final decision on the successful bidding nation is expected next year.
Founded in 2003 by Managing Director – Michael Purtill, Sales Director – David Taylor, Finance Director – Ian Goulding and investment company Alchemy Partners; QHotels has grown from 2 to 21 properties over the last five years.
The collection includes The Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort, near Glasgow, Telford Hotel & Golf Resort, Shropshire and Hellidon Lakes Golf & Spa Hotel in Northamptonshire.
QHotels www.qhotels.co.uk