Forest of Arden Country Club near Birmingham — Photo by Warner Leisure Hotels
Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club near Edinburgh — Photo by Warner Leisure Hotels

Warner Leisure Hotels, the UK’s only hotel chain to cater exclusively for adults and a Bourne Leisure portfolio company, today announces the continued expansion of its portfolio with the acquisition of two high-quality hotels – Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, near Edinburgh, and Forest of Arden Country Club, near Birmingham.

Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, Warner Leisure Hotels’ first hotel in Scotland, is an attractive Grade A manor house set in over 1,000 acres and only 30 minutes from Edinburgh city centre and 50 minutes from Glasgow. The 4-star hotel has 215 bedrooms, with two golf courses, two restaurants, two bars, a leisure club, tennis courts and conference facilities.

The Forest of Arden Country Club is a 4-star golf hotel, located in the Midlands and only a 20-minute drive from Birmingham. The hotel is set in over 10,000 acres of woodlands and has 214 bedrooms, multiple lounges and bars, two golf courses including a championship course, tennis courts, a leisure club and conference facilities.

Bourne Leisure, owned by Blackstone-managed funds, has committed over £100m in the acquisition and redevelopment of these two properties in what will be an extensive refurbishment programme ahead of their reopening as Warner Leisure branded hotels. Since acquiring Bourne Leisure in 2021, which includes the UK’s leading holiday park provider, Haven, Blackstone has invested over £450m across its holiday parks and hotels. The commitment to Warner Leisure Hotels’ growth story is reflected in its investment of almost £120m to renovate, refurbish and expand the portfolio.

Warner Leisure Hotels offers short breaks with great food and drink, spas and live music. Hotels include the recently refurbished Heythrop Park, in the Cotswolds, which opened in September 2022, Studley Castle in Warwickshire, and the recently acquired Runnymede on Thames in Greater London, which is set to reopen in Summer 2024. The latest acquisitions take Warner Leisure Hotels’ total portfolio to 18, with over 4,000 rooms.

We are delighted to add these two wonderful hotels to our portfolio, each with fantastic facilities and both in excellent locations, including our first ever hotel in Scotland. Our confidence in the future growth prospects of the company continues and we look forward to redeveloping the hotels to a high-quality signature Warner Leisure Hotels offering. The compelling brand and short break proposition, which includes entertainment, dining and daytime activities at the hotel, mean our guests continue to return to enjoy the unique experience that Warner Leisure Hotels offers. We very much look forward to introducing a whole new audience to the experience too. Paul Flaum, CEO, Bourne Leisure
These acquisitions reflect our continued confidence not only in the UK domestic tourism sector but in the Warner Leisure Hotels brand. Acquiring these two landmark hotels marks the next step in the company’s growth story as we continue to look for opportunities to add high-quality hotels to the portfolio and to invest significant capital in repositioning them. Lionel Assant, Head of European Private Equity and James Seppala, Head of European Real Estate, Blackstone

Prior to their relaunch under the Warner Leisure Hotels brand, Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club and Forest of Arden Country Club will continue to be independently managed under their current proposition.

About Bourne Leisure

Established in 1964, Bourne Leisure is one of the UK's leading holiday and hotel operators and comprises of the holiday brands of Haven and Warner Leisure Hotels. Our brands are amongst the most recognised within the UK holiday market, and we own and operate leisure assets on 6,500 acres of some of the best leisure real estate in the UK. Our mission is to give our guests a great time with memories that last a lifetime and each year Bourne Leisure welcomes 4 million guests and 25,000 owners to its holiday parks, resorts and hotels and employs over 16,000 team members

About Warner Leisure Hotels

Warner Leisure Hotels is a leading British hotel chain, offering adult-only short breaks in some of the UK's finest historic countryside and coastal locations. Founded in 1932, the holiday group will have 18 hotels across the UK. Each Warner Leisure Hotel offers a full programme of live entertainment, fine dining and a range of activities to explore the local area. More at warnerleisurehotels.co.uk.