Inn Collection Group purchases Lancashire's Midland hotel

The Inn Collection Group (ICG) has acquired the Midland hotel in Morecambe for an undisclosed sum.

The grade-II listed hotel was built in 1933 by the London Midland and Scottish Railway and was previously owned by Clitheroe-based charity the Lancaster Foundation.

The hotel featured in the 1960 film The Entertainer starring Laurence Olivier and the 1990s ITV adaptations of Agatha Christie's Poirot, starring David Suchet.

It marks ICG's third acquisition in Lancashire, following the Lindum and the Carlton in Lytham St Annes, which are currently being converted into a 99-room single site.

It is also the group's fourth acquisition since October, following purchases of the Bull in Beaumaris, the St Kilda Hotel in Llandudno, and the Wordsworth hotel in Grasmere.

Sean Donkin, managing director of ICG, said: "We are delighted to bring the Midland into the group and bring in an establishment that is held in such high regard.

"We are very keen to retain what is special about the Midland and see it very much as a protection project, looking after the fabric of the building and ensuring that it continues to occupy a prominent place not just in its physical location, but in peoples' hearts for many years to come.

Chris Richardson, development director of Lancaster Foundation, added: "We are very pleased with the outcome of this sale. The charity will continue to grow its funding to support the increasing needs of the charities that we support."

Edward Hunter of Edinburgh-based commercial law firm Burness Paull provided legal advice on the transaction, while Neil Hart at Newcastle-upon-Tyne based Bradley Hall advised on pre-acquisition diligence.

ICG's portfolio now comprises 35 sites across the north of England and North Wales.

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