Real estate banker David Church has joined leisure resort developer Valley Ridge Holdings as a board adviser, alongside TGI Fridays group chief executive Robert Cook.
Valley Ridge is preparing to deliver a £500m, 284-acre leisure complex in Suffolk, previously known as “SnOasis”.
Church has worked on prominent deals including Queensgate Investments’ £1bn Grange Hotel acquisition last year.
While managing director and head of real estate and lodging at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Church advised on GIC’s landmark £1.7bn acquisition of London’s Broadgate office complex in 2013.
Church was formerly managing director at HFF London, departing last year after JLL agreed to buy the firm for $2bn.
Cook’s previous roles include chief executive of the Malmaison hotel group, where he drove the development of both its Malmaison and Hotel du Vin brands.
Cook was also chief executive of Virgin Active UK and chief executive of De Vere Hotels, where he led the development of De Vere Village Urban Resorts (now known as Village Club).
Valley Ridge aims to offer year-round winter and water sports alongside leisure and hotel facilities, using sustainable, carbon-neutral infrastructure. It is expected to open in 2023/24.
These features will comprise a holiday park with self-catering accommodation including eco-friendly wooden lodges (pictured below); sports and retail facilities; a snow dome with one of the largest indoor ski slopes in the UK (pictured above); a water park, spa and cinema; a 350-key four-star hotel; bars, restaurants and cafes; and a country club.
Church said: “Valley Ridge represents a tremendous opportunity to create a very special destination, one of very few like it in the UK, in a supply-constrained market.
“Together, we are building a resilient business that meets changing consumer demand.”
Cameron Ogden, director of Valley Ridge Holdings, said: “The Valley Ridge resort will be a leader in its field, and having David and Robert join the team is the best reflection of this. They are highly experienced in their fields and bring a stellar track record in delivering major projects.”
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