I buy small UK hotels. Coastal, rural, freehold. I also build software and write online. This page is the front door for sellers and brokers.
Sell me your hotel
If you own a small UK hotel and you're thinking about selling — in the next year, the next five years, or "one day" — I want to hear from you. Direct, not through a broker if you'd rather. No fee to you, no obligation, no leak.
What I buy
Good fit
- UK freehold hotel, inn, or restaurant-with-rooms
- Coastal, rural, or market town — character over chain
- Ten to forty letting bedrooms
- £300K to £2M deal size
- £80K to £400K EBITDA, or a clear path to it
- Owner-operator selling for retirement, health, or a clean exit
- Open to seller finance, earn-out, or staged completion
- Property in fair nick — tired is fine, derelict is not
Not a fit
- Leasehold-only (no freehold interest)
- City-centre branded hotel or franchise tie-in
- Sub-£100K EBITDA with no turnaround story
- Above £3M — outside my current ticket
- Wet-led pubs without rooms
- Live planning disputes or unresolved title issues
What I look for in a deal
- Clean books. Three years of filed accounts, monthly P&L, a believable management pack.
- A reason to sell. Retirement, health, partnership split, next chapter — something honest.
- Operator continuity I can plan around. Either the owner stays on for a handover, or there's a head chef / GM who isn't walking out the door.
- A defensible position. A reason guests pick this place over the next one — view, room, kitchen, story.
- Room to lift. Pricing, occupancy, food cover, events — at least one lever I can pull in year one.
- A freehold I can borrow against. Lenders look at the bricks first, the business second.
Why sell to me
- I close. Sands Hotel in Orkney — offer accepted, financing in flight. Winteringham Fields — heads of terms signed. Two more in the pipeline. I'm not a tyre-kicker.
- I bring my own funding. Cumberland Building Society for senior debt, partner equity beside me, seller finance where it suits both sides.
- I respect the team. I'm buying a going concern, not stripping an asset. Staff stay. Suppliers stay. Brand stays unless we both want a change.
- I move at your pace. Three months to close if you want. Twelve if you need. Soft exit if you'd rather hand over slowly.
- I keep it quiet. No press, no broker chain, no town gossip until completion. If discretion matters, it gets it.
What happens after you sell
- I take over operations with the existing team in place.
- I keep the name, the menu, and the character — unless we agreed otherwise.
- You get paid on the schedule we agreed, on the day we agreed.
- If you want to stay on in any capacity — consultant, weekend host, chef emeritus — there's a seat at the table.
- I don't flip. I hold and improve. Hospitality is a long game and I'm playing it.
Who this page is for
This is for you if
- You own a small UK hotel and you're thinking about selling
- You're a broker with a freehold UK hospitality instruction that fits the box above
- You're a solicitor, accountant, or advisor with a client who's ready
- You're a neighbour, supplier, or friend of an owner who is — pass this on
This isn't for you if
- You're selling a city-centre branded hotel
- You're selling leasehold only
- You're looking for a buyer who'll pay above market for a quick turn
- Your ask is north of £3M
- You'd rather work the open market through agents — fair enough, this isn't that
Let's talk
If any of this fits, send me the basics — location, rooms, last full year's turnover and EBITDA, freehold or lease, asking price if you have one. I'll come back inside two working days with a yes, a no, or a question.