Historic Cheshire hotel saved from closure, protecting 60 jobs
Forest Hills Hotel in Frodsham, Cheshire, has been rescued from insolvency, saving 60 local jobs.
The hotel has played a significant role in Cheshire’s leisure entertainment industry. It offers a leisure club with a swimming pool, a sauna, 58 bedrooms, and a restaurant with panoramic views across the Chesire Plains. Over its 120-year legacy, Forest Hills Hotel has hosted notable performers, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, Showaddywaddy and Lulu, and famously welcomed The Beatles in 1963.
Lisa Moxon and Christopher Benjamin Barrett of Dow Schofield Watts Business Recovery were appointed as administrators of Mersey View Pleasure Grounds Limited, the company behind the hotel on 17th March. Following a swift sales process, they successfully identified Elmstech Ltd as a buyer for the hotel’s business and assets for £1.55m, ensuring its continuation.
The sale of Forest Hills Hotel has safeguarded this historic site, protected 60 jobs and enabled it to remain a valued part of the local community.
Lisa Moxon, partner at Dow Schofield Watts and administrator of the hotel, said: “From the outset our priority was to quickly secure a buyer for the business, to provide security for Forest Hills Hotel’s employees in what continues to be a challenging economic climate. While the hospitality sector has faced setbacks in recent years, it’s encouraging to see continued interest and investment in legacy venues like this.”
Simon Dunn, Director of Elmstech Ltd, added: “Acquiring Forest Hills Hotel will preserve a historic and much-loved property for the Frodsham and wider Chester community. It was a pleasure working with Lisa at DSW Business Recovery, whose guidance ensured the process smooth and efficient throughout.”
The administrators were advised on the transaction by Hill Dickinson and Landwood Group.
