Manager acquires original Moat House

The original property from which John Bairstow built Queens Moat Houses into the country's third biggest hotel group has been sold to its general manager.

The Brentwood Moat House in Essex, which was the former QMH chairman's home until its conversion to a 38-bedroom hotel in 1967, has been bought by Paul Pearson, the general manager for 20 years.

In recent weeks the name of Mr Bairstow himself had been linked to the hotel. However, he confirmed to Caterer this week that he was not involved with the deal.

Mr Pearson, the group's first incentive manager, is believed to have paid in excess of the £2.5m asking price. It is understood Jones Lang Wootton's controversial valuation for the 1992 year-end valued it at £2m.

The Tudor property's name is being changed to Marygreen Manor, a name it bore in the 16th century, and money is to be invested in making some improvements to the building.

Another QMS property sold last week was the 44-bedroom Angel at Chippenham, Wiltshire, which had gone on the market with a guide price of £650,000.

The purchaser is Graham Williams, until last week general manager of the Southampton Moat House and an employee of the company for the past 11 years.

Mr Williams, who is believed to have paid marginally less than the asking price, is planning a three-year refurbishment programme, mainly to the hotel's façade and its 32-bedroom annexe.

The Angel's general manager, Joseph Donovan, has effectively swapped jobs with Mr Williams to become general manager of the Southampton Moat House, which QMH is retaining.

The disposal of the Angel and the Brentwood Moat House leaves QMH with just eight of the 14 hotels it put up for sale with agent Christie & Co in the middle of February.

One of the next to go could be the Concorde at Gatwick, where more than one offer has been received for more than the £2m asking price.