Malmaison hotels founder Ken McCulloch is launching a chain of mid-market hotels to take on budget operators such as Posthouse.
The Glaswegian hotelier has raised £100m for the project. He also plans to expand Columbus, the affordable chic brand in gateway cities in Europe and the US.
McCulloch plans to open 100 Inn Coaches in the next three years in Europe and the US. They will mostly be new-builds. Eight areas are under negotiation in the UK including Newbury, Reading, the Midlands, Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Financial Times 15/11/01 page 27
