Popular Northamptonshire wedding venue and hotel enters administration leaving couples upset and out-of-pocket

A popular Northamptonshire wedding venue and hotel has entered a period of administration after being ‘heavily impacted’ by the pandemic.

Highgate House Hotel in Creaton has been closed since the start of 2021, due to the national lockdown and is unlikely to be able to reopen during the administration period, according to the administrators.

Grant Thornton were called in on Monday (February 22) to take over Sundial Group - the parent company that owns the 97-room hotel and another in Kenilworth.

Customers who have weddings booked at the venue later this year or next year have been left upset and out-of-pocket as many have paid a deposit, which the company cannot refund at this time.

One bride-to-be, who had her wedding booked at Highgate House in August 2022, told Chronicle & Echo: “I was really shocked. I didn’t see this coming at all.

“I’m upset and I feel like I’m back to square one with my wedding planning, but at least mine isn’t until next year.

“I know quite a lot of couples who had planned to get married there this year.

“When I was called by a member of staff I was told the company had no money to give us our deposit back, which was just over £2,000.

“I would imagine that those couples getting married there this year have lost a lot more.

“It’s really disappointing and we’ve been given no time frame as to when we might be able to get the deposit back.”

The administrators say they are working with the company to assess the options available to release assets, which would in turn release funds to potentially pay back deposits lost.

In terms of potential buyers and whether the hotel would reopen, the administrator could only confirm that the venue is unlikely to reopen during the administration period.

A spokesman for the joint administrators at Grant Thornton UK LLP said: “Office holders from Grant Thornton UK LLP were appointed joint administrators to the Sundial Group Limited and Woodside Conference Centre Limited on February 22.

“The businesses have been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the hotels being closed during the current lockdown period.

“The administrators recognise the impact of the administrations on employees, clients and suppliers to the companies, and are working to resolve outstanding matters in line with their statutory obligations as swiftly as is practicable.

“Anyone who has paid a deposit for a function (including a wedding) or a conference, will be contacted in due course by a member of the Sundial/Woodside team, if they have not already been contacted.

“At present, the administrators are continuing to work with the directors to assess the options available to realise the assets but unfortunately, due to the current economic climate, the hotels are unlikely to reopen during the period of the administration.”

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