Brakspear has acquired the freehold properties of the former Crazy Bear hotels in Beaconsfield and Stadhampton following the appointment of administrators to the businesses behind the sites. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
The transaction brings two established hospitality properties into the Henley-based pub operator’s estate, but does not preserve the former hotel operations. Both hotels ceased trading after administrators were appointed on 27 October, with room, restaurant, spa and event reservations cancelled.
Brakspear plans a Honeycomb Houses reopening
Chief executive Tom Davies told Propel that the Beaconsfield property would enter Brakspear’s managed division, Honeycomb Houses. An investment plan is being developed, with a substantial development programme expected before reopening.
The current aim is the second half of 2027, subject to planning applications and approvals.
For Stadhampton, Davies said Brakspear was keeping its options open. The company has yet to decide whether the property will be operated within Honeycomb Houses or its leased and tenanted estate. The two sites therefore have different levels of operational certainty at this stage.
A property sale after trading stopped
The Caterer reported that Kiri Holland and Danny Dartnaill of BDO were appointed joint administrators to the parent companies on 27 October. The subsequent freehold sale was confirmed after the hotels had closed.
Holland said that efforts to secure the hotels’ future had been affected by difficult market conditions and weaker-than-expected summer trading. The administrators’ immediate focus was supporting employees and affected customers following closure.
The two hotels employed approximately 130 people. Most were made redundant, while a small number were retained to help the administrators.
Boutique Hotelier also reported the cancellation of bookings and the invalidation of gift vouchers following the closure. Guests with existing arrangements will need to follow the administrators’ specific communications rather than assume that Brakspear’s purchase restores those reservations.
Two sites with different histories
The Stadhampton property in Oxfordshire was the original Crazy Bear hotel. It combined accommodation with restaurants, a bar and event space. The Beaconsfield property in Buckinghamshire opened later and also brought together bedrooms, dining, leisure facilities and events.
Crazy Bear had already passed through administration in December 2024 before being acquired in a January 2025 pre-pack transaction. The reported £6.5 million consideration relates to that earlier deal, not to Brakspear’s new acquisition.
Brakspear has not disclosed the planned capital expenditure for reopening.
Selective growth for the pub operator
Brakspear’s latest reported financial year provides context for its capacity to invest. Pub & Bar reported turnover of £47.9 million for the year ended 28 December 2025, up 16%, alongside new banking facilities providing £25 million for expansion.
The same report recorded acquisitions of The Kings Head in Cirencester and The Redesdale Arms in Moreton-in-Marsh during 2025.
The next milestones will be the Beaconsfield investment and planning process, and a decision on the operating route for Stadhampton. Until those steps are further developed, the confirmed outcome is ownership of the properties, with their future trading formats still being worked through.
