Page 30 - Stakis A Case Study

A Spanish hotel in Estepona/Marbella had been acquired in
1986. At the time of purchase the company had declared its

intention to create a leisure complex in association with the

hotel and had projected the hotel as in the type of location

and of the standard which would be attractive to its existing

British customers. This, to date, had been the only major

overseas venture of the Hotels Division.

In March 1990 the company announced plans to increase,

over the succeeding five years, the number of hotels owned
. Several of the new openings were to be in Europe an area

identified by the company as suitable for expansion.
Subsequently, some refurbishment of existing hotels took

place.

To help promote expansion the company had by March

1990 a new hotel concept and had decided on the creation

of a chain of Stakis Leisure Lodges - subsequently

brand-named `Stakis Country Court' - with the intention of

trading some existing hotels under that brand name. The

new concept was launched with the opening of three hotels
in England and Wales. These were strategically located off

major trunk routes and were, according to the 1990 report,

`designed for the frequent business traveller'.