The owner of Solihull-based luxury hotel Hampton Manor – which last week gained its first Michelin star – has revealed to Boutique Hotelier that he harbours ambitions to take on a second hotel business.
James Hill, who has run Hampton Manor since his family purchased the property eight years ago, is focused on expanding the 15-bedroom hotel, which will likely involve the addition of between 10 and 20 new rooms in the next five years.
But he also admits that the idea of adding a city-based hotel to the portfolio really appeals.
“It is just about timing and deciding when we are ready to do that,” said Hill. “I have been out and seen a number of properties and I have got an itch for a city centre business, so I would love a hotel or something in the centre of Birmingham. I’d like something a bit grittier in the city that has got a different feel about it. Hopefully with the way Birmingham is going – with HS2 coming in and a real proliferation of good food in the city – we could be right on the horizon at the right time.”
Hill said he is “pretty confident” that he will have made a move into the city within the next 10 years.
Hampton Manor runs Peel’s Restaurant, which last week gained a Michelin star to go with the four AA rosettes it previously earned. “Modern dishes come from a confident kitchen and feature refined, original combinations with some playful elements. Service is pitched perfectly,” said inspectors.
