Blackburn hotel changes hands

THE Mercure Hotel in Blackburn has been sold to a couple who are planning a full rebrand.

The 44-bed venue was sold from a guide of £1.2m by Aviva Life and Pensions UK. It was being run under a franchise agreement by Hertfordshire-based Focus Hotels.

Charles and Jean Haigh, former owners of the Sparth House Hotel at nearby Clayton-le-Moors, plan to rebrand it as Foxfields Country Hotel.

The hotel sits in nine acres off Whalley Road, Billington on the edge of the Ribble Valley. It has a health club and spa, an indoor swimming pool, five conference and banqueting rooms and a restaurant and bar.

Colliers International in Manchester handled the sale. Associate director Neil Thomson said: “We have seen a significant increase in the volume of buyers in the marketplace aided by the fact that banks are now starting to take a more positive and commercial view in terms of new lending.

“The improved housing market has also helped potential buyers unlock equity allowing them to acquire good quality commercial assets.”