Starboard Hotels

What Starboard Hotels does

Starboard Hotels Ltd is a privately-held, family-founded UK hotel owner and operator headquartered at Park House, 10 Penn Road, Beaconsfield. Founded in 2006 by Paul Callingham, the group manages a portfolio of 21 properties ranging from 35 to 182 bedrooms under globally recognised franchise brands - Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express (IHG), ibis and ibis Styles (Accor), Hampton by Hilton, Days Inn by Wyndham, Best Western, and AC Hotel by Marriott - together with three independent hotels: Windermere Manor, The Cliffden Hotel (Teignmouth), and The Bridge Hotel (Greenford).

The operating model combines brand-standard franchised hospitality with centralised revenue management, procurement, sales, marketing, finance, and HR functions at the Beaconsfield and Chorley offices. Starboard has positioned itself for capital-intensive property investment, including the £26m+ Hampton by Hilton London Park Royal (2020), the £14m ibis Styles London Gatwick Airport redevelopment (2024), a £5m Derby redevelopment relaunching under IHG's voco brand, and an extensive rebrand and renovation of the former ibis Styles Birmingham NEC to AC Hotel by Marriott completed in June 2026. The technology stack is built around cloud-based infrastructure and a fully digital 3CX IP telephone system that enables remote hotel management from head office, with customer-facing booking technology integrated with each franchisor's reservation system and the GuestLine platform for independent properties.

Revenue is generated primarily from hotel room rentals, supplemented by food and beverage operations (notably The Engine Room restaurant at Derby Riverlights), function room hire, and ancillary services across leisure, corporate, event/sports, and airport transit demand segments. Distribution occurs through brand.com reservation systems, third-party OTAs (Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com), GDS channels for corporate travel, and a regional sales team covering North and South territories. The group employs over 500 people across the UK and operates a proprietary S.H.A.P.E. leadership development programme alongside a separate Starboard Dining franchise operating 27 Pizza Hut Delivery locations. A related Pizza Hut Delivery franchise business (Starboard Dining) generates revenue in a distinct entity from the hotel operations.

Name

Starboard Hotels

Legal name

Starboard Hotels Ltd

Website

https://starboardhotels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Starboard Hotels is a privately-held UK owner and operator of 21 franchised and independent hotels under IHG, Accor, Hilton, Wyndham, Marriott, and Best Western brands, employing over 500 staff to serve leisure, corporate, and event travellers across England and Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaconsfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Hotel Room Revenue: Primary revenue stream from room rentals across 21 hotels under franchise agreements. Hotels range from 35 to 182 bedrooms, operating under internationally recognised brand standards.
2. Food and Beverage: On-site restaurants, bars, and function rooms. The Engine Room restaurant in Derby is a notable example, open to both hotel guests and the public, contributing to F&B revenue at the property.
3. Franchise Royalties and Fees: As franchisee of IHG, Accor, Hilton, Wyndham, Best Western, and Marriott brands, Starboard pays franchise fees and receives brand support including reservations, loyalty programmes, and marketing.
4. Pizza Hut Delivery Franchise Operations: Starboard Dining franchisee for 27 Pizza Hut Delivery locations across the Midlands, Yorkshire and North West, supporting approximately 540 jobs. Separate operating entity from hotel business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Starboard Hotels owns and operates a portfolio of 21 franchised and independent hotels across the United Kingdom under global brand families including IHG, Accor, Hilton, Wyndham, Best Western, and Marriott. The company provides overnight accommodation, food and beverage, meetings and events facilities, and parking at each property, and invests in capital projects such as extensions and rebrands to refresh and grow the portfolio.

Product overview

Starboard Hotels is a UK-based hotel owner and operator managing a portfolio of 21 franchised and independent hotels under world-leading brands including IHG (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express), Accor (ibis, ibis Styles), Wyndham (Days Inn, Hampton by Hilton), Best Western, and Marriott (AC Hotels), plus three independent properties. The portfolio spans 21 properties across the UK from independent Victorian manor houses (Windermere Manor, The Cliffden Hotel) to city centre branded hotels, offering approximately 2,500+ bedrooms. Services include franchised hotel operation, hotel development and construction, and the company's proprietary S.H.A.P.E. leadership training programme. The company also operates The Engine Room restaurant brand at Derby Riverlights and has recently rebranded ibis Styles Birmingham NEC to AC Hotel by Marriott following extensive renovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SHAPE: S.H.A.P.E. (Starboard Hotels Accelerator Programme for Employees) is the company's internal leadership development and training programme launched in 2019, designed to develop future leaders across the hotel portfolio.

Products and services

• AC Hotel by Marriott Birmingham NEC and Airport Branded Marriott hotel located near Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre, providing accommodation, food and beverage, meeting rooms and parking for leisure and business travellers.
• Best Western Carlton Hotel Blackpool Franchised Best Western hotel situated on Blackpool's North Shore offering guest rooms, dining, function suites and entertainment breaks for leisure visitors and groups.
• Days Inn Wetherby Wyndham-affiliated Days Inn located in Wetherby, West Yorkshire, providing en-suite bedrooms, on-site parking and a food and beverage offering for travellers.
• Holiday Inn Derby Riverlights IHG-licensed Holiday Inn in Derby city centre featuring guest rooms, meeting rooms and the on-site Engine Room restaurant and bar.
• Holiday Inn Express Greenock IHG limited-service hotel in Greenock, Scotland, offering Express-branded rooms and a complimentary breakfast for leisure and business travellers.
• Holiday Inn Express Leeds IHG-licensed Express hotel located near Leeds city centre providing compact guest rooms, breakfast and meeting facilities for short business and leisure stays.
• Holiday Inn Express Tamworth IHG Express hotel in Tamworth offering guest rooms, breakfast, on-site parking and meeting space for visitors to the Midlands region.
• ibis Hotel Birmingham Bordesley Accor-licensed ibis budget hotel located in Birmingham offering compact en-suite rooms, breakfast and parking for value-conscious travellers.
• ibis Hotel Leicester City Accor ibis hotel located in Leicester city centre providing guest rooms, breakfast and meeting facilities for business and leisure visitors.
• ibis Hotel Plymouth Accor-licensed ibis hotel in Plymouth providing en-suite guest rooms, breakfast and on-site dining for visitors to the South West of England.
• ibis Hotel Sheffield City Accor ibis property located in Sheffield city centre offering compact rooms, breakfast, on-site restaurant and meeting facilities.
• ibis Styles Barnsley Accor ibis Styles hotel located in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, providing themed guest rooms, breakfast and event spaces.
• ibis Styles Crewe Accor ibis Styles hotel in Crewe, Cheshire, providing themed guest rooms, breakfast, restaurant and meeting space.
• ibis Styles Haydock Accor ibis Styles hotel located in Haydock, Merseyside, providing themed guest rooms, breakfast, restaurant and parking near the M6 motorway.
• ibis Styles London Gatwick Airport Accor-licensed ibis Styles hotel adjacent to London Gatwick Airport, offering themed rooms, breakfast, parking packages and on-site dining for airline passengers and crews.
• Hampton by Hilton London Park Royal Hilton-licensed Hampton by Hilton hotel in West London providing guest rooms, complimentary hot breakfast, fitness centre, meeting rooms and on-site parking for business and leisure guests.
• The Bridge Hotel Independent hotel within the Starboard portfolio offering accommodation, food and beverage, and event facilities for leisure and business travellers.
• The Cliffden Hotel Independent hotel within the Starboard portfolio operating as a leisure destination with on-site dining, leisure facilities and event space.
• Windermere Manor Hotel Independent hotel in the Lake District region offering accommodation, dining and function space for leisure visitors to the Windermere area.
• The Engine Room Restaurant at Holiday Inn Derby Riverlights On-site restaurant at Holiday Inn Derby Riverlights serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea for hotel guests and the general public, supporting the group's food and beverage offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 employees across the UK portfolio of 21 hotels
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marriott International (AC Hotels)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 June 2026Starboard Hotels rebranded ibis Styles Birmingham NEC & Airport to AC Hotel by Marriott Birmingham NEC and Airport following extensive renovation. This represents Starboard's first AC Hotel by Marriott property.
• Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (Days Inn)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 March 2026Starboard Hotels operates Days Inn by Wyndham Wetherby under Wyndham franchise agreement. Wyndham provides brand standards, reservation systems, loyalty programme (Wyndham Rewards), and marketing support. Days Inn Wetherby won the Wyndham 2025 Best Of Award.
• BIFFA (Waste Management)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025BIFFA joined Starboard Hotels' S.H.A.P.E. programme participants for International Food Loss and Waste Day on 29 September 2025, helping raise awareness about food waste reduction across the hotel portfolio.
• Pizza Hut Delivery (Starboard Dining Franchise)minorOthers · 19 February 2021Starboard Dining (a separate entity from Starboard Hotels) became franchisee for 27 Pizza Hut Delivery locations across the Midlands, Yorkshire and North West, supporting approximately 540 jobs. This is a separate operating business from the hotel portfolio.
• RGB Ltd (Property Developers)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 October 2020RGB Ltd acted as developers for the Hampton by Hilton London Park Royal project, working with Starboard Hotels on the £26m+ development. Neil Russell, MD of RGB Ltd, commented on the delivery of the project.
• Hilton (Hampton by Hilton)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 19 October 2020Starboard Hotels operates Hampton by Hilton London Park Royal under a Hilton franchise agreement. Hilton provides brand standards, reservation systems, loyalty programme (Hilton Honors), and marketing support. This is Starboard's first collaboration with the Hilton brand.
• S.H.A.P.E. Training Partners (Sarah Fountain, Flex Media, BBC Lancashire, Various Suppliers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2020The SHAPE leadership programme (launched 2019) is delivered in partnership with trainer Sarah Fountain, PR agency Flex Media (media training), BBC Lancashire (live radio interviews), and various brand suppliers who provide insights into supply chain, revenue management, and operations.
• IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 January 2020Starboard Hotels operates Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express properties under IHG franchise agreements. IHG provides brand standards, reservation systems, loyalty programme (IHG Rewards), and marketing support. The partnership includes 6+ properties.
• Accor (ibis, ibis Styles)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 January 2020Starboard Hotels operates ibis and ibis Styles properties under Accor franchise agreements. Accor provides brand standards, reservation systems, loyalty programme (ALL - Accor Live Limitless), and marketing support. The partnership includes multiple properties.
• Best Western HotelscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 January 2020Starboard Hotels operates Best Western Carlton Hotel Blackpool under Best Western franchise agreement. Best Western provides brand standards, reservation systems, and marketing support.
• Carillion (Hotel Portfolio Acquisition)coreOthers · 20 September 2018Starboard Hotels acquired the Carillion hotel portfolio in September 2018, safeguarding jobs and the future trading of the properties. This acquisition significantly expanded the portfolio.
• Forth Direct MailminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmail marketing for Starboard Hotels is managed by Forth Direct Mail, Edinburgh, Scotland (Hanover House, 45 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PJ). Handles email communications to customers about products and services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Whitbread (Premier Inn): UK's largest hotel operator and owner of the Premier Inn brand. Directly comparable as a UK budget/midscale hotel owner-operator, but at materially larger scale and with proprietary rather than franchised brands.
• PPHE Hotel Group: UK-listed owner and operator of full-service and upscale hotels (Park Plaza, art'otel). Comparable as a UK-rooted hotel owner-operator, though positioned more upmarket and with proprietary rather than franchise brands.
• IHG Hotels & Resorts: Global franchisor of Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and voco. Starboard is a multi-property franchisee of IHG; IHG is comparable as the upstream brand partner whose economics, distribution systems, and loyalty programmes drive Starboard's IHG-segment performance.
• Hilton Worldwide: Global franchisor of Hampton by Hilton and other brands. Comparable as an upstream brand partner for Starboard's Hampton London Park Royal and a benchmark for asset standards and franchise economics.
• Marriott International: Global franchisor including AC Hotels. Starboard recently rebranded the Birmingham NEC asset to AC Hotel by Marriott; Marriott is a comparable upstream partner and benchmark for franchise operating standards.
• Accor: Global franchisor of ibis and ibis Styles. Starboard operates multiple ibis and ibis Styles properties under Accor franchise agreements, making Accor a directly comparable upstream brand partner for Starboard's midscale segment.

Direct peers

• Splendid Hospitality Group: UK-based owner and operator of franchised hotels under IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Accor and independent brands. Closest like-for-like comparable: multi-brand franchise strategy, similar portfolio scale, similar regional UK footprint.
• Kew Green Hotels: UK hotel management company operating franchised properties primarily under IHG and Marriott. Highly comparable multi-brand UK franchise platform with similar operating model and mid-scale segment focus.
• Amaris Hospitality: UK hotel management company operating franchised hotels across multiple brands. Comparable multi-brand franchise operating model and UK midscale segment exposure; senior leadership of Starboard's Operations Director previously worked at Amaris.
• Travelodge: One of the UK's largest budget hotel operators. Comparable on segment (UK economy lodging) and operational model, though Travelodge uses a proprietary brand rather than third-party franchises.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/starboardhotels

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Starboard Hotels