Wragge & Co advises Royal Shakespeare Company on joint venture to transform Arden Hotel

Wragge & Co's real estate specialists have advised the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) on its multi-million pound joint venture with Eden Hotel Collection to refurbish the Arden Hotel. Located in Stratford-upon-Avon, the hotel sits opposite the Royal Shakespeare and Swan theatres and next to the RSC's new Chapel Lane offices.

Real estate tax and funds partner Lee Nuttall led the team, advising on the limited liability partnership agreement. Real estate partner Chris Hunt and associate Kulvir Desai assisted with the real estate aspects, with commercial partner David Lowe and associate Clare Woolley advising on the hotel management agreement.

Lee Nuttall said: "The RSC was keen to appoint a firm with first-class experience of the hotels sector. With a dedicated Hotels team, we were involved at the early stages of the deal and advised on the best structure for the joint venture. Our commercial acuity and expertise within this sector ensured this deal - to modernise and create an up-to-date hotel for Stratford - was completed with minimum fuss."

Caroline Barnett, general counsel at the RSC, said: "I enjoyed working with Lee and the rest of the Wragge & Co team. They had a strong grip of the commercial and complex practical issues associated with this type of joint venture. Our options were presented clearly - allowing us to reach proper, considered decisions. We trust Wragge & Co to deliver what we ask of them: we like their style - and their sense of fun."

The refurbishment will transform the Arden Hotel into a 43-room boutique-style hotel within walking distance of the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres. The refurbishment project is due to begin later this year, with completion expected to coincide with the opening of the £112.8 million renovation of the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres in late 2010.

The Eden Hotel Collection, owned by Sir Peter Rigby, includes Mallory Court in Leamington Spa, the King's Hotel in Chipping Camden and Buckland-Tout-Saints Hotel in Devon. Eden and the RSC will work closely with the team at Mallory Court to plan and manage the refurbishment. Lawyers for Business advised the Eden Hotel Collection.

Wragge & Co's Real Estate group offers clients a full service across the entire commercial property sector. With more than 140 lawyers working in 15 specialist areas such as planning, tax, funds, leisure and residential development, the group has the expertise and experience to handle the most complex transactions. The specialist Hotels team, led by Chris Hunt, advises owners and operators on a full range of issues facing hotels, including hotel management agreements and commercial contracts.