Privately-owned hotel operator Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has signed a management contract with the owner of Donnington Grove Country Club in Newbury, Berkshire.
The deal gives Macdonald, which has more than 40 four- and five-star hotels in the UK and Spain, management control of the 32-bedroom, 18th-century hotel as well as its golf, fishing and clay pigeon facilities.
The owner, Sandtrend, retains the management of the pro shop, golf and estate pursuits.
The current staff will be retained in the deal. The terms of the agreement will also see the Donnington Grove Country Club retain its own brand identity, while Macdonald Hotels & Resorts will steadily implement its hotel-wide operational practices, controls and quality standards.
Chris Gillett, managing director of Macdonald Hotels Management Services, said: "Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is very pleased to have agreed a management contract with this wonderful hotel and country club.
"This agreement will further strengthen our portfolio along the M4 corridor and appeal to our discerning business, leisure and conference guests who seek the reassurance and quality of product and service offered by Macdonald Hotels & Resorts.
"Nigel Green, the general manager of the Donnington Grove Country Club and a former employee of Macdonald Hotels, is familiar with our high professional standards. As a company we now look forward to supporting Nigel and his staff in further developing the potential of this beautifully appointed country house hotel."
The Gothic-styled house dates back to 1763. Overlooked by Donnington Castle, the original mansion house was built by James Pettit-Andrews. Following its sale to William Brummell in 1783, the house was transformed into a country estate.
The property was requisitioned in 1940 for Allied Supplies. In the 1990s, Dave Thomas, one of Britain's foremost golf architects, was tasked with creating a golf course in keeping with the listed landscape gardens. The construction of the course started in November 1991 and on the 12 June 1993 the Donnington Grove Country Club opened. Sandtrend purchased the estate in 2004.
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By Neil Gerrard
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