South African boutique firm Leeu Collection acquires UK property

Linthwaite House - now part of Leeu Collection
1000 396 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

Leeu Collection has acquired its first UK property, the acclaimed Lake District hotel, Linthwaite House.

It is Leeu Collection’s first property outside of South Africa, where the group currently operates two hotels (Leeu House and Le Quartier Francais), with a third – Leeu Estates – due to open in June 2016.

Linthwaite House is a celebrated, four-AA Red Star Hotel located in the South Lake District (South Lakes). Originally built as a country house in 1901, this boutique hotel has been independently owned for 25 years. Situated in 14 acres of landscaped gardens, the property offers complete privacy and spectacular panoramic views across Lake Windermere and the surrounding fells. Accommodation is offered in 30 en-suite bedrooms and the hotel also has a 3 AA Rosette restaurant.

Renowned for its homely comforts and for being a haven of tranquillity, Linthwaite House personifies the best of traditional British hospitality. Garnering a Best Service honour from Conde Nast Johansens 2016 UK & Ireland Awards for Excellence, as well as the Good Hotel Guide’s, Editor’s Choice 2016 award in the Romantic Hotel category, this acquisition echoes Leeu Collection’s founder, Indian industrialist Analjit Singh’s vision of creating unrivalled escapes and offering visitors extraordinary experiences.

Leeu Collection comprises four properties, three in South Africa and now one in Britain. Leeu is the Afrikaans word for lion, as is Singh in Sanskrit.

All three of the Leeu Collection’s South Africa properties are located in the Western Cape’s wineland town of Franschhoek just under an hour’s drive from Cape Town and its International Airport.

Daniel Fountain / 26.04.2016

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.