Foresters Hall Isle of Wight hotel to close following private sale

Foresters Hall will close its doors and become a residential property following its sale to “an Italian yachtsman” for an undisclosed sum, after failing to secure a hospitality buyer through Christie & Co.

The 14-bedroom hotel, which was founded by husband-and-wife duo Sara Curran and Peter Sussman, first raised the ‘for sale’ sign in 2024 for an asking price of £2.3m.

Speaking to The Caterer, Curran said that the seasonal nature of the hotel alongside increased operational costs across hospitality including business rates and national insurance made securing a hospitality buyer "very challenging."

The hotel has retained a Michelin key since 2024 and is the only hotel on the Isle of Wight to be a member of Mr & Mrs Smith and Table Plus.

Curran and Sussman were first-time hoteliers when the launched Foresters Hall, having previously worked in the television industry on hit shows including Schitt’s Creek and the Night Manager.

In a statement to guests, Curran said: “While the building in Cowes moves forward in a new form, the philosophy behind Foresters Hall continues.

“We are now focusing on applying the same approach to hospitality in new ways, identifying, shaping, and advising boutique hotel and hospitality projects that value character, craftsmanship and emotional connection.”

The closure of Foresters Hall comes amid wider costs pressures across the hotel sector. 

A letter to chancellor Rachel Reeves signed by over 130 of the UK’s biggest hotel and holiday park operators including Butlins, Haven, Hilton and Whitbread has urged the government to implement a hospitality-wide business rates solution which extends beyond pubs.

The letter said “there is already immense pressure on the investment case for hotel development in the UK” and incoming cost rises associated with business rates reform are “not something businesses will be able to easily absorb, while passing costs on to guests would further add to the cost-of-living pressures.”