Third Flat Cap hotel put up for sale after administration

The third hotel in the Flat Cap hotels portfolio has been put up for sale after the company fell into administration.

Savills is marketing the freehold of the Courthouse in Knutsford, Cheshire, for an undisclosed sum.

Flat Cap opened the hotel and wedding venue in the Grade II-listed former Crown Court building in 2017.

However, it closed in January following the appointment of administrators.

The hotel features nine bedrooms spread over three floors, a bar and restaurant with private dining options, a banquet hall with capacity for 300 people, and two meeting rooms which can be converted into double bedrooms.

The site has planning permission to add a further 42 bedrooms and construct of a rooftop bar.

Tom Cunningham, UK regional director, hotel capital markets, at Savills Manchester, said: "With current planning permissions to further enhance its offering, we expect a good amount of interest moving forward."

Flat Cap was founded by brothers Oliver and Dominic Heywood in 2015 with the aim of opening food-led destinations in heritage buildings.

Both brothers were Acorn Award winners and their Bridge in Prestbury hotel won the 2021 Hotel Catey for Hotel Restaurant Team of the Year.

When the Courthouse closed in January, a spokesperson for administrators Begbies Traynor said: "Like many others in the hospitality sector, despite having an excellent reputation and a strong brand, the business has been impacted by a combination of factors, including the pandemic, inflation and the challenging economic environment for consumers."

Flat Cap's two other hotels continue to trade under management of Condor Hotels while being marketed by administrators.

The Bridge was put up for sale in February for offers in excess of £4.5m while the Vicarage in Cranage was put on the market for offers in excess of £2.5m.