Robin Hutson just turned 65 and having spent nearly 50 years in business, the co-founder of The Pig Hotels in England told HOTELS from 40,000 feet on Wednesday as he was winging his way to a holiday that he wants to regain a slightly better work/life balance. So, he has sold the parent company of The Pig Hotels to an affiliate of Denver-based private equity firm KSL Capital Partners. Terms of the deal announced on Wednesday were not disclosed.
Hutson will continue as chairman of the company and will retain a stake in the business. Tom Ross, previously group operations director, has taken on the role of managing director.
“We see KSL as the perfect partner to continue our steady and careful growth over the coming years, and I continue to be a significant shareholder,” Hutson said. “KSL’s investments in iconic hotels around the globe demonstrate to me their eye and appetite for the best in leisure and hospitality. We are proud to be part of that.”
Hutson continued, “We have built a robust and intuitive team as the next generation of senior management, and I look forward to working alongside them and KSL for the next chapter in The Pig story.”
Founded in 2011, The Pig Hotels is a collection of eight rural boutique hotels in southern England with acclaimed restaurants built on a commitment to environmental sustainability. Each Pig hotel has approximately 30 bedrooms housed in a historic building complete with a garden-inspired restaurant, a kitchen garden and land for animals, serving food that is either grown on property or locally sourced.
“The team at The Pig has created something truly unique and exceptional: hotels set in the English countryside which provide genuine hospitality and are at the forefront of environmental responsibility. We look forward to being part of this journey and supporting the management team,” said Tina Yu, principal, KSL Capital Partners, which has raised approximately US$18 billion of capital across both debt and equity funds since 2005.