UK: Hotel owner-operator Arora Group has signed an agreement with Accor to redevelop the Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa under the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts brand.
Arora Group acquired the Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa in December 2021. It will undergo a multi-million pound redevelopment over the next few years to bring the property in line with Fairmont standards.
The estate dates back to 1601 and spaces 1,100 acres on the border of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Once the renovation is complete, it will join Fairmont hotels in the UK including The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel (London), Fairmont St Andrews (Scotland), Carton House, A Fairmont Managed Hotel (Ireland), and the Arora-owned Fairmont Windsor Park.
Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of Accor, said: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner again with Arora Group, building upon our tremendous success at Fairmont Windsor Park. This is an exciting project, truly a piece of history in this region, and we are honoured that Arora has entrusted it to Fairmont.”
Mark Willis, CEO, Fairmont Hotels & Resort, added: “There are few hotels in the world with the incredible heritage and grand, elegant estate of Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa. This is a perfect addition to a collection of hotels that already includes such icons as The Plaza in New York and Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai. We will be honoured to welcome the Luton Hoo Hotel to the Fairmont family, and are excited to see the property’s transformation unfold over the coming months and years.”
Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of Arora Group, said: “We are incredibly proud to bring the prestigious Fairmont brand once again to Arora’s portfolio of hotels. Over the last decade, our estate has grown significantly, and we are excited to have this historic hotel join our other flagship properties.
“Luton Hoo’s heritage is exceptional with guests such as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spending part of their honeymoon there, and Sir Winston Churchill giving his famous post World War II speech to a crowd of 110,000 people. Building on our existing expertise with the brand at Fairmont Windsor Park, we cannot wait to commence the redevelopment and bring this stunning hotel back to is full glory and potential.”