Shrewsbury's landmark Lion Hotel sold to Thai corporation
One of Shropshire's landmark hotels has been sold to a Bangkok-based firm for an undisclosed sum.
A deal has been struck for the Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury, which will be taken over by Thai group the Fico Corporation in a move hoped to safeguard the future of the historic hotel.
The 16th century Grade I-listed hotel on Wyle Cop has hit trouble in recent years after previous owner Howard Astbury was ordered to put it up for sale to pay off debts totalling almost £300,000.
It was initially put on sale in 2011 for £2.95 million, but finance firm Duff and Phelps, appointed as trustees of the estate, has not disclosed how much the hotel went for.
The 59-bedroom hotel is said to be the place where Charles Darwin stayed before setting off on the HMS Beagle. Other guests have included Charles Dickens – who wrote The Pickwick Papers during his stay – Benjamin Disraeli, The Beatles and Morecambe and Wise.
Gavin Wright, director at Christie & Co's Birmingham office, which handled the sale, said: "We are delighted to have secured a sale with an investor who is keen to keep the Lion Hotel operational and refurbish the property.
"I am sure Fico will be able to bring a lot back to Lion Hotel and make it very successful.
"The sale of the hotel demonstrates there are a number of overseas investors with a keen appetite to acquire hotel assets in the UK."
