Hand Picked Hotels, renowned for exquisite food, fine wines and bespoke service, has delivered an impressive set of results with a strong performance across its award-winning collection of historic country house and resort hotels. Created by former lawyer turned hotelier Julia Hands, Hand Picked Hotels has a portfolio of 20 architecturally splendid properties, mainly former private country houses in beautiful locations across the UK and Channel Islands.
The annual results to November 2015 saw group turnover increase by 3.7% to £62.4m, driven by growth in both occupancy and room rates. Overall occupancy has increased by 1.2% and the group grew room revenue per available room by 5.6%.
Food and beverage sales grew by 1.9% with a stronger performance in meeting and event revenue. The health club and spa operation grew turnover year-on-year by 5.1%.
EBITDA has increased by 0.5% to £9.6m compared to £9.5m in the prior year.
Significant investment continued in the hotels, with £8.9m spent on upgrades throughout the collection, with a special focus on leisure facilities, hotel bedrooms and public areas. A £4m grand restoration of the east wing of Crathorne Hall Hotel in Yarm, North Yorkshire, was relaunched in October 2015. Distinguished visitors to Crathorne Hall have included The Queen Mother, The Prince of Wales and Prime Ministers Sir Anthony Eden, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, and Harold Macmillan.
Service quality continued to receive high ratings, reflecting the investment by Hand Picked in employee training and development. A total of 19 hotels held at least two AA Rosettes for their restaurants in 2015 and 10 hotels have been awarded much coveted red stars.
Julia Hands, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hand Picked Hotels, who created the Hand Picked brand in 2001 from a collection of hotels purchased with her husband, city financier Guy Hands, said: “Despite continuing challenges to the cost base during 2015, Hand Picked Hotels delivered a 0.5% increase in its EBITDA. We have always been immensely proud of the quality of both our product and service and strive to continue to achieve results without compromising our position in the market and, above all else, our customer satisfaction.
“We remain confident that the unique combination of excellent service, fine food and historic country houses that defines our proposition will continue to be attractive to our guests.”
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