Portland: Royal Breakwater Hotel sold after long-term owner retires

Specialist property business adviser, Christie & Co has successfully completed on the sale of Royal Breakwater Hotel in Portland, Dorset.

The 19-bedroom, Grade II listed Victorian hotel is just a stone's throw away from the famous Portland Harbour.

Having owned the Royal Breakwater Hotel since 1996, former owner Rob Smail decided to retire from the trade and take life a little easier. The new owner, Mark Dolan, has plans to improve the hotel, which will be announced soon.

The Isle of Portland forms part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site, and is connected to the Dorset main land by a permanent road. Portland is a popular tourist destination, with visitors attracted by the wide range of attractions and activities including: diving, sailing, windsurfing, castle ruins, rock climbing, bird watching, kite surfing, stone sculpture park and beaches. It is the hub of a busy maritime industry with a well used commercial port and home to a number of boat builders including Sunseeker.

Jimmy Johns, Finance Consultant at Christie Finance brokered funding for the new owner to purchase the business. He said of the deal, "With Mark's business management background and experience, he is a great owner to take this hotel forward. With our ability to see the whole lending marketplace, I was able to help select the best finance option to help Mark take over the business."

Stephen Champion, senior business agent at Christie & Co, commented: "We are delighted to have facilitated this sale on behalf of Rob Smail. The Jurassic coast is a sought after location for hotel operators due to the busy tourist industry, as well as the many commercial guests drawn in by the areas maritime industries. We have no doubt Mark Donlan with his years of business experience as well as maritime background will have every success building upon the business created by our client.

“The hotel sales market continues to stay strong, with Christie & Co reporting a 52% year-to-date increase in hotel transactions.”