Ringland Group appoints CBRE to sell the iconic 1852 Hotel
The Ringland Group has officially brought The 1852 Hotel and the popular Town Square bar to the market through CBRE seeking offers over £2.85 million. The sale is a strategic move to redeploy capital into the Ringland Group’s ambitious £17 million development pipeline, which includes a new 76-bed hotel on Callender Street and a high-profile rooftop bar on Howard Street.
Historic Asset with Immediate Growth Potential
The property, which began life as a mid-19th-century dance school, offers a diverse and proven revenue stream:
- The Hotel: Features 21 bedrooms in total (17 double rooms, 4 quad rooms) together with an 18-person group suite. The hotel’s total sleeping capacity is 68 guests.
- Town Square: One of the city’s busiest hospitality hubs, famous for its “Southside Sun Trap” and outdoor booth tables.
- Future Value: The sale includes secured planning permission for 5 additional bedrooms to the rear of the property.
Operational Excellence
Beyond its Victorian charm, The 1852 Hotel has become a benchmark for modern hospitality management. The business is notable for being extremely systemised, having undergone extensive Lean implementation across every department. This focus on efficiency and waste reduction has created a highly profitable, “plug-and-play” model for any prospective buyer.
Peter Ringland, Managing Director of the Ringland Group, commented:
“The 1852 Hotel has been a pleasure to own for the past decade, but the time is right to pass on the torch. This move allows us to focus our energy on our pipeline of new projects, including our new Bottleworks development on Callender Street.”
Industry defying Staff Retention
The hotel’s operational success is mirrored by a staff retention rate that is virtually unheard of in the sector. The average tenure for the wider team sits at a remarkable 3.5 years, while the core management team – including General Manager Andrew McWhirter – averages an extraordinary 9 years of service.
The 1852 Hotel Management Team
General Manager Andrew McWhirter remains at the helm, flanked by his veteran management team: Food Manager Jeannie Jenkins, Bar Manager Stephen Reynolds, and Head Chef Kamil Regdos.
Andrew McWhirter added:
“This is an incredibly systemised business; we have worked hard to implement Lean principles across all departments, making it one of the most efficient operations in the city. We are so excited for the next chapter – we have built something very special here on Botanic, and we cannot wait to meet the next custodian of this historic building as I lead our team into the future. ”
The Sales Process
The Belfast and Dublin teams of CBRE Ireland have been instructed to market this exceptional hotel and are guiding excess £2.85m.
Paul Collins of CBRE Hotels commented:
“We are excited to be selling this highly profitable hotel which has considerable upside potential including the opportunity to add five bedrooms, with full planning consent in place for this extension.”
