Four hotels facing long-term closure in Cornwall have been saved by new owners.

The Ship & Castle in St Mawes, the St Ives Bay in St Ives, and the Marina and Beresford hotels in Newquay, are set to reopen as part of the Coast & Country Hotel Collection, a newly formed collection of former Shearings Hotels.

With all four hotels having gone into administration in May 2020 as part of Shearings Hotels, it was feared they would remain closed indefinitely.

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However, under new ownership and following a hotel management agreement with Bespoke Hotels, the properties are set to reopen as lockdown eases – with an opening date set for May 17 for the Ship & Castle, St Ives Bay and Marina hotel in accordance with Government guidance, while the Beresford will open on June 1.

Coast & Country said it had looked to re-employ many previous staff, whilst also looking to offer new roles to those keen to join the hospitality industry.

It added that it hoped to recruit heavily within the local communities, with more than 140 roles on offer across the four hotels – and applicants are welcome to enquire about the positions available.

Paul Fitzgerald, portfolio managing director, said of the plans for the collection: “Given the enormous challenges of the last few months, we’re delighted to bring these properties back to market.

"Integral parts of Cornwall’s hotel offering, we know their initial closure was felt keenly amongst their respective communities. Now though, with reopening plans in place, we’re able to offer not just jobs and wider tourism opportunities, but hospitality services that people can engage with as restrictions lift.”

The Beresford hotel in Newquay

The Beresford hotel in Newquay

He said the renewed focus for reopening was on reaching wider audiences.

"In particular we are looking to attract those seeking leisure breaks as well as welcoming local residents to sample the restaurants, bars, and wedding and event venues on offer as we look to restore their local hero status and develop a close bond with communities," he added.

The four hotels are among a wider collection reopening across England, Scotland and Wales, including the Windermere Hotel in Windermere, Cumbria and The Caledonian in Fort William, the Highlands.

Thomas Greenall, managing director of Bespoke Hotels, said: “Coast & Country Hotel Collection is made up of some prominent local hotels in some wonderful and well-established leisure locations and we’re thrilled to be able to facilitate their reopening.

"We know the initial closures of many of these properties caused a real stir in their local communities last year, so we hope they’ll be keen to embrace their reopening and support the individual hotels in their endeavours.”

He added: “We hope this will be regarded as a very positive move for the industry – delivering jobs, support for communities and vital trade for suppliers and ancillary businesses.”