The freehold move and what stays
Hand Picked Hotels has agreed to acquire four Cotswold hotels from Andrew Brownsword Hotels. The four are Buckland Manor, The Slaughters Country Inn, The Slaughters Manor House and Old Swan & Minster Mill. Hospitality & Catering News published the announcement on 15 September 2026.
The transaction covers the freehold interests. The hotels continue trading under their existing names following completion, on the wording the announcement and Hospitality & Catering News both carry.
The 118 bedrooms
Together the four properties hold 118 bedrooms. Hospitality & Catering News states the total, and the announcement states the same figure alongside established food and beverage operations at the four sites.
Andrew Brownsword Hotels still listed all four under its own collection on 24 September 2026. Its site files Buckland Manor under Worcestershire, Old Swan & Minster Mill under the Cotswolds, and both Slaughters properties under Lower Slaughter.
The portfolio count a sales team works from
Hand Picked Hotels was founded by Julia Hands and operates 21 country house and coastal properties across the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands, on Hospitality & Catering News's wording. The four properties take the published count to 25.
Establishing a presence in the Cotswolds is the group's first in the region, on Hospitality & Catering News's wording. The group holds partnerships with Bollinger, Chapel Down, Blenheim Palace and the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.
What the announcement leaves unpriced
Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, on Hospitality & Catering News's wording. No published copy read for this piece carries a purchase price, a rent roll, a management fee or a revenue figure for the four hotels, and no page read carries a per-property bedroom split.
A reservations or revenue team reading the announcement gets the ownership change, the retained names and the room total. The rate position carries no published change.
The transition the group describes
Ignace Bauwens, group director of Hand Picked Hotels Holdings (Guernsey) Limited, said the immediate focus will be ensuring continuity for guests, supporting colleagues and working closely with local partners and communities.
John Badley, chief executive officer of Andrew Brownsword Hotels, said the four hotels have been developed and cared for with great pride over many years, and that the agreement marks the beginning of their next chapter.
Julia Hands, chair of Hand Picked Hotels, said the Cotswolds has long been one of Britain's most admired destinations.
Who advised whom
Hand Picked Hotels was advised by Deloitte, Michels & Taylor and Withers. Andrew Brownsword Hotels was advised by Savills and Burgess Salmon. The law firm names itself Burges Salmon on its own site.
Hospitality & Catering News reported on 19 August 2026 that Andrew Stembridge joins Hand Picked on 1 September 2026 as chief executive of its luxury division.