Landmark hotel is sold to Bangladesh businessman
BREDBURY Hall has been bought from administrators in a multi-million pound deal that saves 250 jobs.
The venue – full name Bredbury Hall Hotel and Country Club – will now undergo a £1m revamp in a bid to see it taken on by a major chain.
It has been bought by Bangladesh businessman Golam Sarwar, who owns the five-star Hotel Sarina in Dhaka.
In March 2014, administrators were appointed after the 150-room complex racked up debts of nearly £12m. It continued trading while a buyer was sought.
The three-star hotel and club had formerly been owned by businessman Douglas Firkin-Flood until his death in 2001.
He was later said to have been a member of Manchester’s Quality Street Gang, the notorious group of criminals who operated throughout the city during the 1960s and 1970s.
Dougie’s son, Ian, was one of three Flood siblings to take a £14m battle for the hotel to the High Court in 2010, after a dispute over Dougie’s will.
Ultimately, the Floodowned First House Leisure Group off-loaded it the same year for £17m.
Mr Sarwar said: “Bred- bury Hall is an ideal choice for our first UK investment.
“It has an excellent location, close to Manchester Airport and with motorway links to the major northern cities.
“There is huge potential to redevelop and return it to its former status as a premier venue.
“Our immediate plans include refurbishing the bedrooms, the nightclub, and the central lounge and reception to create a meeting hub and a unique space for all-day dining.
“Then, in 2016, we will introduce leisure and spa facilities.
“Ultimately Bredbury Hall will become the flagship of a group of hotels, built though a rolling acquisition process over the next five years.”
Mr Sarwar has appointed hotel management specialists Onecall Hospitality to operate the complex on a three-year rolling contract.
Mark Chambers, director of Onecall, said: “We will be leading the redevelopment of this iconic hotel with the aim of reinstating it as a premier north west destination.
“The key to the success of any hotel is to provide excellent guest service.
“We shall be introducing our unique customerfocused quality assurance programmes as well as developing a broad range of new products and services.
‘In 2016 we will introduce leisure and spa facilities’