Scarborough's Royal Hotel put up for sale

A family-run Scarborough hotel that once hosted Winston Churchill under its roof has entered administration, due to a soaring tax bill.

The Royal Hotel has been put up for sale today by administrators MCR. It follows its sister premises, The Clifton Hotel, onto the market, which was put up for sale earlier in the month. Both hotels are to continue trading as normal until a buyer or buyers are found.

MCR partner, David Whitehouse, said that the 118-bedroom Royal and 130-room Clifton both presented attractive business prospects for a new owner.

"Both the Clifton and the Royal have strong reputations and high levels of occupancy," he said. "There is significant interest in these hotels and we would expect to complete a sale of the hotels as a going concern over the coming weeks."

The Royal is an iconic example of regency architecture, including its famed decadent staircase and atrium.

Both hotels have been owned by English Rose Hotels Scarborough Ltd, the company owned by the Turner family of hoteliers, who also own the Wrea Head Hotel, Scalby, and the Green Man Family Inn, Malton, under the English Rose Hotels Yorkshire Ltd brand. No other businesses, however, have been affected by the Royal administration.