Buyers of Hartlepool's Grand Hotel revealed as jobs for new staff advertised

The former Best Western hotel, in Victoria Road, closed in 2020 with all staff made redundant after its then owner Shepherd Cox Hotels (Hartlepool) went into administration.

An update in a liquidators progress report filed with Companies House in May shows the hotel has been sold to Otway Capital Limited in March for £95,727.27 excluding VAT.

A number of jobs for the Grand Hotel are also currently being advertised online including for positions of general manager and bar staff.

Simon Bonney and Carl Jackson, of Quantuma Advisory ,were previously appointed as joint administrators and later joint liquidators to handle the administration process.

The Mail reported a year ago how the sale process was in the early stages after a potential buyer had been found.

May’s progress report states: “Otway Capital Limited (‘the Purchaser’) expressed an interest in purchasing the company’s freehold property during the administration period.”

It added: “The agents concluded that the purchaser’s offer was very likely to represent the best net realisation for the asset and they recommended to the joint liquidators that the offer be accepted.

"Consequently, the property was sold to the purchaser on 9 March, 2022, for £95,727.27 (exclusive of any VAT), which was received in full on the same date.”

Otway Capital is registered in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and the nature of its business is given on the Companies House website as “hotels and similar accommodation”.

The liquidators statement of receipt and payments also says that an insurance claim totalling £138,000 was paid out following damage suffered to the hotel after it closed.

It stated no dividend had been paid to date to preferential creditors, who include employees, for wage arrears and pension contributions, adding: “It is uncertain whether there will be sufficient realisations to pay a dividend to preferential creditors.”

In addition to the roles of general manager and bar staff, the post of a housekeeper and receptionist are also being advertised with recruitment website Indeed.

News of the Grand Hotel’s sale comes in the same week that Hartlepool Borough Council agreed to proceed with plans to convert the neighbouring derelict Wesley Chapelinto a £3.9m boutique hotel.