Ownership of Ripon’s famous Spa Hotel looks set to change hands.
Colliers International, which has been marketing the 40-bed property since spring, reports it is currently ‘under offer’.
While confirmation of the sale to an unknown buyer is awaited, it remains unclear whether the building will remain as a hotel or be redeveloped for another use.
The Stray Ferret approached Colliers for clarification, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
The 16,125 sq ft Edwardian hotel was on the market for £1.5 million.
The hotel and its surrounding grounds.
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The Spa Hotel has been closed since March last year, when the first covid lockdown came into effect.
In July 2020, the long-term owners of the hotel, announced permanent closure after failing to attract an asking price of £1.75 million.
At the reduced price of £1.5 million, it was marketed by Colliers for continued use as a hotel.
The agents’ executive summary of the property said:
“This is an outstanding opportunity to acquire a renowned Yorkshire hotel in a desirable trading location.”
The summary added that the hotel, with its range of public rooms, has enjoyed ‘strong regular repeat custom based on its standing in the Ripon area’.
It has hosted business conferences, banquets, annual lunches and dinners and wedding receptions.
At the height of its popularity, the hotel was achieving net annual turnover of up to £1 million.
Its closure, made it the first major victim of covid in the Ripon tourism sector.
The Old Deanery Hotel, which offered 11 bedrooms, a meeting room and facilities for wedding receptions, subsequently announced its permanent closure.
The collective loss of more than 50 bed spaces raised concerns about the city’s ability to accommodate visitors and tourists staying overnight or for longer periods.
With Ripon’s reliance on tourism, city councillors and tourism bosses have been hopeful that the Spa would reopen as a hotel and not be developed for other purposes.
A Stray Ferret reader, who asked not to be named, said:
“It is so important to Ripon that we know as soon as possible if the hotel is sold.
“Importantly, we need to know if it will continue as a hotel, or if the site is being earmarked for development”.
