Somerset hotel stops sale of alcohol and pork due to new owners' beliefs

A hotel group in the South West, who own a hotel in Somerset, has announced it will no longer sell alcohol or pork to its guests and customers as a way to "promote a healthy and more inclusive environment" that reflects its new owners' cultural beliefs. The Fowey Valley hotel in Lostwithiel in Cornwall was acquired by the H&H Hotels group early in 2023 after being put up for sale for £1.4 million by its previous independent owner.

The hotel which is a member of the Best Western organisation, comes with 38 ensuite bedrooms, restaurant, bar, a swimming pool and a three-bedroom manager's or owner's property and two car parks. H&H Hotels own the Wembar Hotel in London; the Rose & Crown in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire; the Dolphin Hotel in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; The Richmond Hotel, Torquay in Devon, The St Elmo in Blackpool, Lancashire; The Savoy in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset; Portobello Road Artistic Studios in London; The Orlando Hotel, also in London; Number 19 in Brighton, East Sussex and the Modern studios Malvern Road in London.

But on its website, Fowey Valley Hotel recently posted that it no longer sells alcohol or pork, as CornwallLive reports. It has been confirmed that all hotels under the chain will be adopting the same rules.

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The message from Jane Mead, the deputy general manager, reads: "Message from our owners (H&H Hotels). We would like to inform you that, in our ongoing commitment to promote a healthy and more inclusive environment, we have made the decision to no longer sell alcohol or pork products in our hotels.

"This change reflects our values to create and respect our dietary preferences and cultural practices. Whether you are looking for somewhere to stay for business or pleasure, your first visit or a return visit, we want to make your stay in Cornwall an enjoyable, memorable and safe experience."

CornwallLive have asked the hotel about the decision and whether it might impact trade by putting some guests off. No-one at the hotel was available for comment other than to say it was H&H Hotels' decision. H&H Hotels, which has hotels all over England from Torquay to Skegness to London, was founded by Egyptian-born businessman Hassan Arif, who is its managing director.

CornwallLivecontacted Mr Arif about the decision not to sell alcohol or pork in his hotels any longer via LinkedIn as there are no general contact numbers for his company. We have also asked Best Western for a comment.

A spokesperson for Best Western said: "The BW Fowey Valley hotel is, like all BWH Hotels GB, an independently owned and operated hotel, which is part of the Best Western brand family. Operational decisions such as this one from the owners (H&H) are taken at individual hotel level, and does not reflect changes across the whole estate of 220 hotels within BWH Hotels GB family."