Bulldog Hotel Group secures £4.5m from BGF for nationwide expansion

Coaching inns operator Bulldog Hotel Group has received a £4.5m capital injection from the Business Growth Fund (BGF) to support its £20m expansion plans across the country.

Bulldog operates seven hotels across Yorkshire, Leicester, Lincolnshire, Northampton, Gloucestershire and County Durham and will use the investment to double the number of properties in its portfolio over the next three to four years.

The company specialises in revitalising the accommodation and culinary offerings of high quality coaching inns, with a focus on traditional English market towns, to boost tourism and local business and trade and claims to have achieved annual sales in excess of £10m.

Bulldog Hotel Group managing director, Kevin Charity, said of the investment: “We have ambitious plans for the next few years, which are centred on finding and acquiring the right estates in the right locations, and sensitively restoring them in line with the character of local surroundings.

“Already, through BGF, we have met a number of high calibre, senior people within the hospitality sector that have been able to provide insight and guidance to our plans – this type of strategic support is invaluable.”

BGF’s Mark Freer has growth ambitions for the hotel chain:

“We are backing a strong management team, with plenty of energy and extensive experience in the hotel and hospitality market.”