By Denis Sheehan FIH: Peter Hinchcliffe, co-founder of the Alexander Hotel Collection, has passed away.
We received the notice below earlier and publish as received for our readership to note. We would like to pass on our best wishes to Peter Hinchcliffe’s wife Deborah, his family and friends.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Peter Hinchcliffe, who founded the Alexander Hotel Collection, with his wife Deborah, in 1994. Peter had bravely battled a challenging cancer diagnosis for some time, and despite this, he was determined to still play as active a role as ever in managing the company, visiting the hotels daily until his passing on December 13th, 2023.
“By his side every step of the way, his wife and co-founder Deborah Hinchcliffe supported Peter during this testing time, whilst also still managing the company. Despite the long shadow that will be cast by Peter’s death, Deborah and the senior team of the Alexander Hotel Collection are as committed as ever to preserving his extraordinary legacy and driving the hotels from strength to strength.
“The Alexander Hotel Collection was formed in 1994 with the purchase of Rowhill Grange. Peter’s background was in retail, supermarkets to be precise, where he was a co-founder of the Iceland chain. Peter sold his shares in 1994 and with Deborah set about creating their groundbreaking vision of a hotel with a spa at its heart, with the purchase of Rowhill Grange. Today, Rowhill Grange is a 38-bedroom 4-silver star hotel and it is where the acclaimed Utopia Spa brand was born.
“With the acquisition of Langshott Manor and Alexander House, Peter & Deborah felt it was time to name the company, and so, Alexander Hotels was born. Whilst this may have felt like a natural choice of name because of the acquisition of Alexander House, it was Peter who decided this would be best, as the company would feature at the beginning of the phone book – once a marketer, always a marketer!
“Building on the success of Utopia Spa at Rowhill Grange, the second Utopia Spa was born at Alexander House in 2006. Then follows the crowning of Alexander House & Utopia Spa with their coveted 5-stars in 2012, which they have held now for over 10 years.
“In 2016, the couple went on to purchase Barnett Hill in the Surrey Hills and set about a complete top-to-bottom renovation. Whilst the paint was still drying at Barnett Hill, the pioneering duo had their sights set on magnificent Great Fosters Estate and went on to purchase it in late 2018. At this stage, they felt the time was right to evolve the company brand to become ‘The Alexander Hotel Collection’, reflecting the uniqueness of each hotel and local area.
“After renovating Great Fosters, in 2021 the property was awarded 5-stars. The hotel’s fine dining restaurant, The Tudor Pass has held a Michelin star across their ownership of the property.
“Peter’s legacy is quite undeniable, having built with Deborah a formidable collection of 4 & 5 star properties, that are both unique yet individual, with a team of passionate staff behind them. Peter’s loss will undoubtedly change the company and the industry landscape, but his passion and commitment will live on through the AHC, which will continue to delight guests for many years to come.”
