Samlesbury Hotel goes into administration

Samlesbury Hotel, one of Lancashire’s best known hotels has gone into administration and the search is on for new owners.

Squire Hotels’ Best Western Plus Samlesbury hotel on Preston New Road continues to trade and is still open for business while a buyer is sought.

Matthew Ingram and Steven Muncaster of Duff & Phelps in Manchester were appointed joint administrators of the 86-bedroom hotel on the outskirts of Preston last week.

In a statement they said they were trading the hotel as a going concern and it remains open for business, with current bookings being honoured.

Joint administrator Matt Ingram said: “Consumer confidence is the driving force of the sector, and as such, its health is dependent on economic certainty.

“With Brexit on the horizon and inflation on the rise uncertainty is building; meaning consumers are increasingly tightening their belts.

“This coupled with the introduction of the National Living Wage in 2016, which hugely impacted the leisure industry as a whole, has meant that those in the sector are facing a bumpy road ahead.”

In a statement Best Western GB said: “We can confirm that the Best Western Plus Samlesbury hotel, part of Squire Hotels Group, is currently in administration, but continues to trade as usual.”

The hotel, which won an award as the best in Lancashire, is popular for conferences and meetings.

It boasts eight meeting rooms; one suite, four multi-functional boardrooms and a further three meeting rooms and can accommodate between four and 220 delegates.

The hotel’s Merchants Bar and Grill restaurant can also accommodate up to 82 guests.

It joined the Best Western Plus Brand at the beginning of 2017after a business decision to raise the hotel’s profile on a local level.

Squire Hotels was created in 2011 and has other hotels in the North West of England. It bought the Windermere Hydro in Bowness in 2014.