Do you have room for a Marston's? Pub to open up hotel chains
MARSTON’S is brewing up plans to expand a chain of hotels alongside its growing pub-restaurant sites.
Up to five of the Pedigree and Brakspear brewer’s 25 to 30 annual new watering hole openings could include a Marston’s Lodge.
It already has about 800 rooms within its 1,800-strong pub estate and has up to 15 lodges earmarked over three years to add to its existing four sites. Having an adjacent lodge could add about £4,000 a week to takings at its new pub-restaurants.
The market for accommodation with pubs seems very strong
Chief executive Ralph Findlay said: “The market for accommodation with pubs seems very strong. It’s not going to be a huge part of the group but it will be meaningful.”
He said prices would be similar to Whitbread’s budget chain Premier Inn, which also runs hotels alongside its pub-restaurants.
Marston’s has been increasing its focus on the family dining market to tap into a growing trend among consumers for informal eating out.
It has also been offloading its more traditional community pubs, which rely on drinks sales, and converting others to a more successful franchise model.
Its more profitable pub-restaurants are set to grow by about 20 per cent to 430 over the next couple of years.