Property agents seek buyer for four-star Bliss Hotel in Southport which has undergone a £20m transformation. Tony McDonough reports

Owners of the four-star Bliss Hotel in Southport have instructed agents at CBRE to find a buyer for the property.

In June LBN reported that CBRE had been brought in to explore options for an expansion of the 131-room hotel. However, owners have now taken the decision to sell up after spending £20m on a refurbishment.

Located on Southport waterfront Bliss Hotel is owned and operated by Bliss Investment Partners (BIP). The business was founded by Robert Agsteribbe and Daniel Broch.

It acquired the development from Wyndham in 2006 when the scheme was 60% built. It opened the hotel under the Ramada name, a Wyndham brand. In 2016 BIP decided to rebrand the hotel as Bliss.

It includes penthouses, a lounge bar, restaurant, roof garden, gym, conferencing and events spaces and secure underground car parking for 120 cars. Next door to the hotel is a 50,000 sq ft development site also owned by BIP. This is also available via a separate negotiation.

The whole complex is located adjacent to the proposed £75m Marine Lake Events Centre. This would see a 1,200-seater events space built to replace the Southport Theatre and Convention Centre which closed in 2020.

Directly to the south of the hotel is Marine Parade, Southport Pier and a range of leisure attractions. The wider waterfront is anchored by numerous restaurants, bars, amusements and leisure facilities.

Shaun Skidmore, senior director at CBRE Manchester, said: “We are delighted to work with Waterfront Southport Properties to market the recently upscaled luxury boutique hotel, which is in a prime position to the progressing events centre and exciting waterfront development.

“The area is primed to attract a host of economic benefits thanks to this highly significant, multi-million pound regeneration scheme.”