Hotel purchase as leisure company bucks the trend

West Yorkshire business R&A Hotel Group has completed the purchase of its latest hotel with funding support from Barclays.

R&A Hotel Group was established in 2011 and the business is headquartered at Roundhay Road, Leeds.

Owned and operated by former solicitor turned entrepreneur Raj Handa, the latest acquisition in Telford is the fourth in recent years, with three further hotels in Chester. The family run business specialises in turn around businesses and The Whitehouse Hotel, Telford, will add a further 90 bedrooms and extensive conferencing facilities to the group’s portfolio.

Raj Handa, managing director, R&A Hotel Group, said: “Purchasing The Whitehouse Hotel has been a quantum leap for the group as it is a much larger hotel than the others in our portfolio. Boasting 90 bedrooms, the new site will take our business to the next level and we’re delighted that Barclays were able to support our rapid expansion.”

Handa gave up law 16 years ago to support his father’s textile business and also ran his own plumbing business in Leeds. He recently completed the Barclays Scale Up programme in conjunction with Cambridge University, which provides a hands-on approach to support customers accelerating their business growth.

The new hotel employs 20 people locally and it is hoped to recruit additional staff as the business expands. Turnover for the group is expected to exceed £1.25m in the current year.

Craig Moore, Barclays Business Relationship director, put together the funding package for the deal. He said: “Raj and his family are passionate about the service they provide for their customers and are continually looking at ways they can improve their customer’s experience.

“The group is growing at pace and with the support of his family we look forward to the continued success of the business as it grows its brand and increases its capacity.”