Urban Splash signs hotel operator for Midland

Developer Urban Splash has agreed a deal with family-run firm English Lakes Hotels to manage its Midland Hotel in Morecambe, the first in Splash's proposed portfolio of hotels around the country.

English Lakes Hotels owns and operates five hotels in Cumbria and Lancashire. Splash said the arrangement "will enable the Midland Hotel to benefit from…the benefits of being part of a small group of high quality hotels in wonderful locations."

Bryan Gray, chairman of Urban Splash Hotels and chairman of the North West Development Agency, said: "The Midland will benefit from English Lakes Hotels' experience and their excellent marketing. Urban Splash will retain ownership of The Midland and will work with English Lakes Hotels to promote the hotel and Morecambe."

Splash spent £11m restoring the 1930s Art Deco hotel once enjoyed by Coco Chanel, Wallace Simpson and Laurence Olivier. The 44-room hotel overlooks Morecambe Bay and has views of the Lake District. The Midland reopened in June 2008.

Simon Berry, chairman of English Lakes Hotels, said: "The Midland fits perfectly with our other hotels and, for the first time, gives us a seaside location. Urban Splash has done an outstanding job in restoring The Midland to its former glory and we're now looking forward to building on the success of this iconic hotel."