Malmaison plans hotels in Southport and Chester

Oct 4 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

The Malmaison hotel in Liverpool _320

THE Malmaison group is to extend its portfolio of properties in the region by opening further boutique hotels in both Chester and Southport.

In a bid to capitalise on the success of the Malmaison Liverpool, situated on Princes Dock, the group – which owns and operates 20 Malmaison and Hotel du Vin hotels across the UK – hopes to have secured its city centre Chester property by the end of the year and Southport soon after.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Post, Robert Cook, chief executive of Marylebone Warwick Balfour Group Plc (MWB), which operates Malmaison, said the flagship Liverpool hotel had proven there was a market in the North West for further up-market brasseries to cater for a discerning clientele.

His announcement came on the back of Malmaison Liverpool’s success on Tuesday night at the Lancashire and Cheshire Life Food Awards, where the hotel scooped the prestigious Best Restaurant in Liverpool Award.

Mr Cook added: “Even without Liverpool’s City of Culture status, the city was somewhere we really wanted to be and now we are going to extend our portfolio in the region with two Hotel du Vins.

“The Chester property is progressing well and we are in legal negotiations to buy a former Crown property called the Colwyn and Napier Building in the city centre.”

Mr Cook said he had viewed a number of properties in Southport and would be back to see more in the next four weeks.

He was hoping the Hotel du Vins chain would appeal to the inbound American golf market. He added: “We are still looking for a suitable property in Southport and believe there is a real discerning clientele who this brand will appeal to.

“Just like the Malmaison, Hotel du Vins are food and beverage led – which is the real success and selling point of the brand.

“We have seen how well this has worked in Liverpool and are sure these new properties will have the same appeal in Chester and Southport.”

Adam Bell, business develop-ment manager at Malmaison Liverpool, said: “We are so thrilled we have been recognised as a brasserie and restaurant first and foremost, and it is a particular coup for us, what with us being so new.’’

carolineinnes@dailypost.co.uk