Tourism Profile in the South East

Buckinghamshire

As with Berkshire, the hotel market in Buckinghamshire is very business-driven, particularly in the main towns, though clearly there are rural products such as country house hotels which are attracting more leisure and wedding-related business. Occupancies typically exceed national averages, and achieved room rates are strong. The pressure on land, and the Green Belt, particularly in South Buckinghamshire has constrained supply here, in itself contributing to the strong performance of hotels.

For information on individual areas use the interactive map below.

<img alt="Buckinghamshire map" src="../../i/map/buck.png" title=""/> Buckinghamshire map items.

Characteristics in Buckinghamshire

 

 

The Current Offer

Buckinghamshire Hotel Supply

Buckinghamshire Hotel Performance

Buckinghamshire Hotel Performance

 

Hotel Development Opportunities

Current hotel performance suggests opportunities for new hotel development in many parts of Buckinghamshire, with a number of locations clearly in undersupply. Key 'hot spots' and other hotel development opportunities are summarised below. Individual district pages provide further detailed information about these development opportunities.

3/4 Star Hotels

 

Current hotel performance and potential future growth in hotel demand suggest potential for a new large 3 or 4 star hotel in the following location:

  • High Wycombe/ Marlow

Achieved room rates in this area indicate that a new 4 star hotel can potentially be supported here. A second new 3 or 4 star hotel might potentially be supported here in the longer term given further growth in the local economy.

There is no clear potential currently for a new 3 or 4 star hotel in Aylesbury.

There is potential for 3 and 4 star hotels in the south of the county to add further bedrooms, leisure and spa facilities and/or conference and banqueting facilities in order to satisfy corporate and residential conference business that they are currently denying; develop leisure break business and compete more effectively for residential conferences and weddings. A number of hotels in the south of the county have development plans that they would like to progress, but are experiencing or expecting difficulties in securing planning permission.

 

Boutique Hotels

 

The main location in Buckinghamshire that offers potential for a new boutique hotel is:

  • Marlow

There may also be potential for small boutique hotels in other parts of southern Buckinghamshire, and potentially also in Aylesbury, possibly through the upgrading and repositioning of existing hotels.

 

Upper-Tier Budget

There appears to be potential for upper-tier budget hotel development in the following locations:

 

Budget Hotels

Key locations with potential for new budget hotels are:

There may also be potential for budget hotels in the following locations that currently have no hotel provision:

There could also be potential for a second budget hotel in Buckingham depending on how well the Travelodge is trading here and the level of new budget hotel development that takes place in Milton Keynes.

 

Country House Hotels

The current performance of 4/5 star country house hotels in Buckinghamshire suggests potential for further provision of this type of hotel, given suitable properties for conversion. There are plans currently for the conversion of Mentmore Towers in the north of the county to a luxury country house hotel with 101 suites.

 

Hotels on Golf Courses

 

There could be potential for the development of hotels on golf courses in the county. Such hotels can compete well for corporate, residential conference and weddings business, and have the added advantage of attracting golf break business at weekends.

 

Quality Pub Hotels

 

There is potential for existing pub accommodation establishments in the county to upgrade and possibly extend, and for other character pubs in rural locations and market towns across Buckinghamshire to develop high quality hotel bedrooms, particularly if combined with a distinctive food offer.

 

Links

Buckinghamshire County Council

Tourism in Buckinghamshire

Contacts

Nancy Pound
Economic Development Officer
Buckinghmashire County Council Council
01269 383345
npound@buckscc.gov.uk