Ryder Cup hopeful becomes latest Fairmont brand

Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa has become the latest golf resort to become a Fairmont Hotels & Resorts branded property.

The announcement comes just a few days after The Mere Golf Resort & Spa in Cheshire said it will be rebranded as a Fairmont venue.

Now the Bedfordshire hotel, which was acquired in December 2021 by Arora Group, will undergo a multi-million pound redevelopment over the next few years before officially launching as a Fairmont hotel.

The venue revealed last year that it hopes to host the Ryder Cup in the 2030s and this development makes that more likely.

Dating back to 1601, the estate spans 1,100 acres with the hotel comprising 258 bedrooms, four restaurants plus a golf course and spa. It was previously owned and operated by Elite Hotels before its sale in 2021.

Mark Willis, CEO, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, said: “There are few hotels in the world with the incredible heritage and grand, elegant estate of Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa. This is a perfect addition to a collection of hotels that already includes such icons as The Plaza in New York, The Savoy in London, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai. We will be honored to welcome the Luton Hoo Hotel to the Fairmont family, and are excited to see the property’s transformation unfold over the coming months and years.”

Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of Arora Group, commented: “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.

“Luton Hoo’s heritage is exceptional with guests such as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spending part of their honeymoon there and Sir Winston Churchill giving his famous post World War II speech to a crowd of 110,000 people. Building on our existing expertise with the brand at Fairmont Windsor Park, we cannot wait to commence the redevelopment and bring this stunning hotel back to its full glory and potential.”