Brownsword Hotels launches Gidleigh Collection

Brownsword Hotels has announced the launch of the Gidleigh Collection as the overriding brand for its set of country house hotels.

Nick Halliday, chief executive of Brownsword Hotels, said that the Gidleigh Collection will sit alongside the Abode group of urban, contemporary hotels, enabling the company to market and sell two very distinct brands.

The 12 properties within Brownsword Hotels are all owned by Andrew and Christina Brownsword, who have a fortune of £245m, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2013. Halliday runs the day-to-day operations of the company, alongside Michael Caines, executive chef of Gidleigh Park (pictured) and director of food and beverage for the group.

"Since we acquired four hotels from Von Essen 18 months ago, it became clear that we needed to group the hotels together, along with our existing hotels, Gidleigh Park and the Bath Priory," he explained.

"It made sense that we used the Gidleigh name as it is an iconic property and one of the very best country house hotels in the UK."

Alongside Gidleigh Park, Devon, and the Bath Priory in Bath, the new Gidleigh Collection comprises Amberley Castle in West Sussex, Buckland Manor in Worcestershire, and Lower Slaughter Manor and the Slaughters Country Inn, both in Gloucestershire.

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