Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, the historic hotel in the U.K., is set to undergo multi-million-pound redevelopment over the next few years to open under Accor’s Fairmont Hotels & Resorts flag.
The U.K.-based Arora Group acquired the independent luxury hotel from Elite Hotels in December 2021. The hotel, which dates back to 1601, first opened in 2007 and sits on 1,100 acres of land on the border of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
The property also consists of a mansion house and restaurant, a lakeside venue for events and a country club with spa and golf facilities.
The five-AA-star, 228-room hotel will join Fairmont properties in the U.K. and England, such as The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel in London; Fairmont St. Andrews in Scotland; Carton House, A Fairmont Managed Hotel in Ireland; and the Arora Group-owned Fairmont Windsor Park near Windsor.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner again with Arora Group, building upon our tremendous success at Fairmont Windsor Park,” said Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO of Accor. “This is an exciting project, truly a piece of history in this region, and we are honored that Arora has entrusted it to Fairmont.”
The hotel has welcomed several famous names, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip (who spent part of their honeymoon there) and Sir Winston Churchill (who gave his post-World War II speech to an audience of 110,000 people).
“We are incredibly proud to bring the prestigious Fairmont brand once again to Arora’s portfolio of hotels. Over the last decade, our estate has grown significantly, and we are excited to have this historic hotel join our other flagship properties,” said Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of Arora Group.
The hotel’s owners have reportedly been in talks to host the Ryder Cup, a biennial international golf tournament between the U.S. and Europe, after receiving the green light to build a championship-level golf course. The property currently includes an 18-hole golf course, but the Arora Group wants to replace it with a “new championship-level course” capable of hosting the international competition.
The golf course is expected to add a clubhouse and office. Luton Hoo is expected to host the tournament in 2031 or 2035. According to reports, golfing legends Justin Rose and Gary Player will help develop the golf course for the Ryder Cup.