The Brighton hotel bombed by the IRA during the 1984 Conservative Party conference has been sold for up to £60million by the family behind Fortnum & Mason and Primark.
The five-star Grand Hotel, which was badly damaged in the attack, has been bought by Fattal Group, an Israeli firm behind the Leonardo chain of hotels in the UK and Ireland.
The Grand, which overlooks Brighton’s seafront, was owned by the billionaire Weston family behind Fortnum & Mason and Primark owner Associated British Foods.
Sold: Brighton’s Grand Hotel has been bought by Fattal Group, an Israeli firm behind the Leonardo chain of hotels in the UK and Ireland
The 158-year-old hotel has seen the birth of an Indian prince in 1933 and is where Abba stayed after winning the 1974 Eurovision song contest.
The Grand has also featured in movies and TV shows including Only Fools & Horses and Brighton cult film Quadrophenia.
Five people were killed when IRA bomber Patrick Magee attacked the hotel in an attempt to assassinate then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The Weston family bought it in 2014 for an estimated £50million from the De Vere hotel group.
And the hotel, with 201 rooms over seven floors, is now set for a significant refurbishment. Its new owner Fattal said it will ‘invest significantly’ in the property to bolster its iconic status.
In October Fattal bought the historic Piccadilly hotel in central London, which once boasted King George V as a guest.
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