Lakeside hotel fetches £1.4m

AMBLESIDE Lodge hotel in the Lake District has been sold to an entrepreneurial local family from an asking price of £1.4m.

Acting on behalf of owner HMD Services, the specialist hotels team at property adviser Colliers International sold the 19th century property with 18 ensuite bedrooms in two acres of grounds and gardens to Derek Hook, his brother Raymond and their sister Dorothy who all live locally and own Zeffirelli’s cinema, restaurant and jazz bar in the Lakeside town.

Ambleside Lodge was built in 1875 as an army general’s residence and originally named Rothay Holme after the River Rothay between Grasmere and Lake Windermere.

It later became office accommodation for the local council and National Trust before being refurbished to provide luxury bed and breakfast accommodation in 1997.

Haydn Spedding, associate director, hotels agency at Colliers in Manchester led the sale. He said: “The acquisition of Ambleside Lodge represents a significant purchase for the Hook family who are already carrying out significant improvements to the property.

“This is one of a number of recent sales by Colliers International following a busy and encouraging summer of trading and many of these transactions are expected to complete before the end of 2015.”