A historic Sunderland hotel has been put up for sale by a hospitality firm three years after the death of the firm’s founder.
The Roker Hotel has been operated by Tavistock Hospitality under the Best Western Hotels Premier Collection for the past 20 years ago and has become a highly regarded and successful hotel. Tavistock Hospitality invested heavily in the building after acquiring it, transforming it into a high-end boutique venue complete with a cakery and tearoom called Let There Be Crumbs.
The group’s founder Mark Hird also based the company’s Poetic License Independent Small Batch Distillery business at the hotel. He affectionately named the 500-litre copper pot which produces its gins and is on display for customers to see, after his daughter Gracie.
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Mr Hird – who grew the business from one Sunderland city centre restaurant to a successful group owning and operating more than a dozen bars, restaurants and hotels across the North East – launched the complementary drinks businesses S43 and Poetic License after enjoying a brewing course, given to him by his wife Nicola for his 40th birthday.
Following a long battle with cancer, Mr Hird passed away in December 2019, at the age of 46.
Now managing director Nicola Foster-Hird says the company is selling the hotel to focus on other parts of the business, noting how it will be a sad day when a sale is completed. The Poetic License business at the hotel is set to be moved to another part of the group, to continue producing its gins, which are now sold all over the world.
She said: “Tavistock as a company has changed dramatically over the last few years, as such, we’ve decided now is the right time to scale down and concentrate more on the smaller scale sites that we have.
“It really has been a fantastic 20 years at The Roker and the hotel has become part of the family almost, with some amazing memories and lifelong friends made on the way. It’s going to be a sad day for us when we leave, but it’s time now for someone else to take the reins, and enjoy it as much as we have.”
Specialist business property adviser Christie & Co is marketing the hotel, which has dominated the seafront for 170 years, with views overlooking the North Sea, Roker Beach and Roker Pier. As well as 43 en-suite guestrooms the hotel also has a restaurant and bar alongside the tearoom, as well as a large function suite which is a popular choice for weddings and events.
The property also has a patio with coastal views and two separate buildings to the rear which will be vacated upon a sale.
David Lee, regional director, hotels at Christie & Co, who is handling the sale, said: “The Roker Hotel is one of the most famous hotels in the area, there have been many high profile events and evenings held at The Roker over the years. It is a hotel which offers something for everybody and we do expect significant interest.”
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