The Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury, an historic market town located in Wiltshire in the south of England, has been sold by long-term owners the Harvey family, to Kim and Whit Hanks, founders of Whim Hospitality in Texas, in the group’s first entry into the UK hospitality market. Malmesbury was the home of the Hanks family’s ancestors. The 34-room hotel is reported to have been sold for £3.8 million (£112,000 per room). The Grade 1-listed building dates from the 13th-century and is believed to be England’s oldest purpose-built hotel. The sellers will operate the hotel in the 2021 season, and operations will be taken over by the incoming owners at the end of this year, who plan to upgrade and reposition the property.
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