Dukes Folly Hotel, 11 Duke Street, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 1LS

An Elegant Victorian Property The Dukes Folly Hotel is an elegant Victorian property, thoughtfully combined and adapted to create a charming boutique hotel with considerable character and architectural heritage. Its striking white stucco façade, together with a wealth of retained period features, gives the property an immediate sense of individuality, quality and distinction. The principal entrance faces south-west, allowing the beautifully landscaped front garden and adjoining beer terrace to enjoy the afternoon and evening sunshine. This attractive outdoor space has become a popular feature of the hotel, enjoyed by both residents and local patrons and providing an appealing setting for drinks, dining and informal gatherings. A delightful conservatory creates a natural link between the garden and the bar, providing a light and welcoming space suitable for private functions, celebrations and social occasions. Internally, the reception area is discreetly positioned beside the lift lobby, creating a welcoming yet pleasantly private arrival experience for hotel guests. While the property does not benefit from dedicated guest parking, a substantial public car park is conveniently located directly opposite the hotel. Operated by the local Church and available on a 24-hour basis, it provides a practical parking solution for guests, with the proceeds contributing to charitable causes.

Since acquiring property in 2013, the current owner, an accomplished architect, has undertaken a sustained programme of investment, refurbishment and improvement, enhancing both the guest experience and the operational potential of the hotel. The property now provides 22 fitted en-suite bedrooms in total, comprising 20 guest bedrooms together with two additional en-suite rooms currently used as the manager’s room and staff accommodation. All bedrooms have been upgraded, with further improvements made to accessibility throughout the building. Accessibility has been significantly enhanced, with step-free access from street level to the principal public areas, together with a new passenger lift serving the upper floors. These improvements have broadened the hotel’s appeal and provide greater flexibility in accommodating guests with varying mobility requirements. A thoughtful reconfiguration of the upper floors has created five additional guest bedrooms, making effective use of the available space while maintaining guest comfort and operational efficiency. The improvements undertaken by the current owner provide a purchaser with a well-maintained and thoughtfully developed hotel, together with scope to further optimise the accommodation and facilities according to their own operational requirements.

A boutique hotel in one of England’s premier costal destinations.

Occupying a prime position on Dukes Street, just moments from the elegant, tree-lined boulevard of Lord Street, Dukes Folly Hotel offers a rare opportunity to acquire a well-established and highly regarded hospitality business in the heart of Southport. The hotel is ideally placed to benefit from Southport’s established and growing visitor economy, with many of the town’s principal attractions within easy walking distance. These include Victoria Park, which hosts a busy programme of national events throughout the year; Southport Adventure Coast, the town’s revitalised leisure attraction; and Marine Lake, a picturesque waterfront destination offering an expanding range of water-based activities. Nearby Birkdale Village provides an appealing selection of independent restaurants, cafés, wine bars and boutiques, adding further to the area’s attraction for both leisure and short-break visitors. Southport continues to enhance its reputation as one of the North West’s leading coastal destinations, with a strong calendar of nationally recognised events including the Southport Flower Show, Southport Air Show and British Musical Fireworks Championship, together attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Significant investment is also transforming the town’s future prospects. Most notably, construction is now underway on the Marine Lake Events Centre, a major new landmark venue designed to accommodate up to 12,000 visitors for exhibitions, conferences, concerts and other large-scale events. Completion is currently anticipated in summer 2029. The development is expected to provide a significant further boost to the local visitor economy and generate increased demand for quality accommodation, dining and hospitality in the town.

An Outstanding Golfing Location For golfing enthusiasts, the hotel enjoys an enviable position just 1.5 miles from Royal Birkdale Golf Club, one of the world’s most celebrated championship courses and a regular host of The Open Championship, AIG Women’s Open and Senior Open events. Together with the outstanding collection of championship links courses across the Southport area, including Hillside, Formby and Southport & Ainsdale, the region attracts golfers from across the UK and overseas throughout the year. This established golfing reputation provides Dukes Folly Hotel with an important and distinctive source of year-round leisure and group business.

Rooms ranged from the cozy Single Room, standard Double Room to the spacious Superior Double Room with a king-size bed and sitting area, Superior Double / Twin Room and Double and Twin Room can be easily adapt sleeping arrangements, while the signature The Castle Room provides a unique themed retreat featuring a grand four-poster bed and distinctive character details.

Included within the sale is the highly desirable Dukes Cottage, a substantial and attractive self-contained owner’s residence offering an excellent opportunity for private occupation. Extending to approximately 1,000 sq ft, the cottage provides comfortable two-bedroom accommodation arranged over two floors, with its own private entrance and independent services. A separate Council Tax assessment further underlines its independence from the main hotel operation. The accommodation provides considerable flexibility for a purchaser, whether retained as a private owner’s residence, used as staff or management accommodation, or potentially adapted for an alternative residential or hospitality purpose, subject to any necessary consents. Dukes Cottage is complemented by a private driveway and double garage, providing valuable off-street parking and additional storage. The cottage, driveway and garage are each held under separate titles, all of which are included within the overall sale. The inclusion of this substantial, independently serviced residential accommodation represents an important additional asset and further enhances the overall appeal and versatility of the property.

The Dukes Folly Hotel has been successfully operated by the current ownership for more than twelve years, during which time it has established a strong reputation and consistently generated annual turnover in excess of £500,000. Whilst already a profitable trading business, the hotel is currently operated on a lifestyle basis, leaving considerable scope for a new owner to increase revenues and develop the business further. Potential opportunities include: Increasing room occupancy, particularly during quieter periods and through targeted seasonal marketing Extending food and beverage trading hours and developing the existing offering Expanding the events, functions and private-hire market Capitalising on increased visitor numbers associated with the new Marine Lake Events Centre Further developing the golfing and corporate accommodation markets, both of which are well established in the area Enhancing digital marketing, online visibility and direct booking strategies to increase higher-margin direct business With substantial public and private investment helping to transform Southport’s visitor economy, together with the anticipated growth in demand for quality accommodation, Dukes Folly Hotel is exceptionally well positioned to benefit from the town’s continued development.

The property combines Victorian character, modern accessibility, established trading performance, further development potential and a highly desirable owner’s residence, all within one of England’s most attractive coastal destinations. Opportunities to acquire a hospitality business of this nature — with proven trading, significant investment already undertaken and identifiable opportunities for future growth — are increasingly rare. Offered for sale solely due to the owner’s retirement, Dukes Folly Hotel represents an exceptional lifestyle and investment opportunity for an incoming owner seeking an established business with genuine scope for further growth.