A landmark hotel in Wiltshire has been placed in the hands of receivers keen to give the premises a new lease of life.
The Inn at the High Post near Salisbury continues to trade while a buyer is sought by joint receivers Greg Palfrey and Steve Adshead from the South Coast office of accountancy and investment management group Smith & Williamson.
They have installed a management team to oversee operations at the hotel, which was previously run by a staff of three plus the owner.
Bookings continue to be taken for the 41 bedrooms, as well as for conferences.
Mr Palfrey, who works out of the Southampton practice of Smith & Williamson, said: “The Inn at the High Post is very much open for business whilst we search for a buyer with the time and financial firepower to breathe new life into this hospitality landmark between Salisbury and Amesbury on the A345.
“The previous owner, like so many in the hotel industry, was affected by the economic climate.
“However, there is potential here to build up an excellent business through shrewd investment, first-class customer service and strategic marketing.”
He added: “A recent multi-million pound investment in nearby High Post Business Park may well increase the need for convenient accommodation for commerce visitors, and there is a market for tourists to Stonehenge and Salisbury.
“The hotel is also close to the ‘Salisbury Research Triangle’, home to world-class research centres for technology and science, such as the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, which develops technologies for the Ministry of Defence, and the Health Protection Agency at Porton Down.”
Plans are also under way at the Inn at the High Post to maximise the potential of its conference facilities, which can host up to 300 delegates.
Mr Palfrey said: “We’ve installed a management team with experience in turning around hotels which have struggled and they will be doing all they can to lay down the foundations for a thriving hotel, generating new jobs and inward investment.”
Inn at the High Post – postcode SP4 6AT – has plenty of parking compared to hotels in Salisbury city centre, he added.
The appointment is one of several in the sector awarded to the South Coast team at Smith & Williamson – others included a hotel in Portsmouth and one in Barry, near Cardiff.
