A HOTEL operator has taken on another venue to expand its estate.

The Coaching Inn Group has bought The Best Western Kings Head Hotel, in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Bosses say the deal for the Kings Head, valued at an undisclosed sum, will provide Coaching Inn with a key site to continue its growth.

Kevin Charity, Coaching Inn founder and managing director, said: “Over the past 12 months we have expanded with the acquisition of four new inns and have plans to add another five this year.

“The Kings Head is a great example of what we do and the locations we are looking to expand into.

“It is a key venue in the town offering relaxed and comfortable surroundings for visitors and local residents alike.”

Based in Richmond’s Market Place, the Kings Head was built as a gentleman’s townhouse in 1717 and offers 26 en-suite bedrooms alongside a restaurant on the ground floor.

Many of the building’s Georgian features have been retained, including the ballroom where Franz Liszt gave a piano recital in 1841.

Coaching Inn, headquartered in Lincolnshire, has hotels across the UK and plans to double its number of properties over the next four years.

Its venues include The Golden Fleece Hotel, in Thirsk, and The Feathers Hotel, in Helmsley, both North Yorkshire.