Crown Golf, the Australian private equity-backed owner of the St Mellion hotel resort in Cornwall, has unveiled plans for a major £30 Million investment in the 280-acre estate.
A planning application submission to Cornwall Council seeks approval to build 230-holiday lodges, a wedding and events barn, kids club, adventure golf course, and farm shop. These new uses join the 80-key hotel, two championship golf courses, 18-holiday cottages, gym, spa, and conference/events facilities already on-site.
Jason Mills, CEO of Crown Golf Property, said: “In May 2019, when I first became involved, there were offers on the table to buy St Mellion. Following a strategic review, we recognised the untapped potential, decided to retain it and make a significant capital investment.
“We have devised a masterplan, designed by AWW Architects, to broaden St Mellion from its important underpinning as a golf-centric hotel, into a new family-friendly luxury resort.
“The cornerstone of our vision is building 230 cedarwood modular lodges within the 360-acre estate, together with a range of new facilities to attract the family staycation market. Subject to securing planning approval, the first phase of 25 lodges will be available in Autumn 2020.
“We are now working on a wider project to remodel the hotel and inject some character and personality. The first phase, the refurbishment of the gym, has just completed. Future phases will see improvements to the hotel rooms, restaurant, bar, spa and reception areas.
“Together with implementing key operational improvements to reinforce the importance of excellent customer care across all service areas, these initiatives will transform the guest experience and drive substantial revenue growth.”
Crown Golf is the largest owner and operator of golf courses in the UK, with 16 sites across London, South East, and Southern England. Following the disposal of some non-core assets over the last six months, the business has evolved from a purely operational golf business, into a significant real estate development platform.
Crown Golf has teamed up with Jason Mills’ property development and investment boutique, Sequoia Real Estate, to progress a number of major residential and mixed-use development projects across its 3,000-acre land bank. Prior to launching Sequoia, Jason was formerly an executive director of Ian & Richard Livingstone’s London & Regional international property development and hotel group