RedCat to focus on premium inns as it exits managed pubs

RedCat Hospitality has announced plans to refocus the business on operating premium pubs with rooms and to exit its managed pub operations.

The group, founded and chaired by Rooney Anand, will bring all of its pubs-with-rooms sites under the Coaching Inn Group brand, creating a portfolio of 43 premium inns across the UK. The move will see RedCat concentrate future investment, management time and acquisitions on the inns business.

RedCat said the consolidation would allow it to prioritise growth in what it described as a pub-with-rooms model combining traditional coaching inns with modern food and drink offers. The business was recently named Which? Large Hotel Chain of the Year.

The Coaching Inn Group has expanded rapidly since being acquired by RedCat in 2021. At the time of acquisition it comprised 18 sites with 513 rooms. It now operates 43 inns with close to 1,500 rooms.

Richard Lewis, group chief executive of RedCat, said: “This is the natural next step for us as a business, particularly as our premium inns have become an increasingly important part of what we do.

“We are already the UK’s fourth-largest pubs-with-rooms operator, and the recent recognition from Which?, combined with the strength of our management team and people across both our support functions and sites, gives us a powerful platform from which to grow.”

He added: “This decision in no way reflects the quality of our managed pubs or the brilliant teams that operate them. I would like to thank each and every person involved for making our pubs such warm and inviting places for our guests.”