The new owners of Liverpool's Dixie Dean Hotel have been named as Lyell Trading Limited, a Gloucester-based property development finance firm effectively owned by Blackfinch Investments. The company acquired the business from administrators in late 2025, and a spokesperson confirmed: "The hotel remains open and trading."
Background of the Signature Living collapse
The Dixie Dean Hotel on Victoria Street was operated by Signature Eden, part of the wider Signature Living group (SL) of companies, which entered into administration on August 5, 2022. The group had created some of Liverpool's most well-known hotels, largely in restored historic buildings, and expanded into other property markets including office space and hospitality.
In 2020, a number of Signature's individual companies fell into administration, with creditors owed nearly £114m. In February 2024, Lawrence Kenwright and his wife Katie were declared bankrupt. On Tuesday (August 18), the Insolvency Service banned Mr Kenwright, the founder of the Signature empire, as a company director until 2031. He had been director of almost 100 companies, including more than 60 under the Signature brand.
Details of the administration and sale
Kevin Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: "Lawrence Kenwright's failures as a company director had serious consequences for investors, who suffered losses of more than £4.8m as a result of false and misleading marketing material." He added: "While Kenwright is not accused of direct fraud, his conduct nevertheless falls well below the standards we expect of company directors."
Documents published during the administration revealed Signature Eden owed more than £15.5m to its creditors. The administration was managed by Robert Armstrong and Dave Riley of Kroll Advisory Ltd, who continued to operate the hotel. The administrators put the business and its assets up for sale as a going concern, and accepted an offer of £3m from the first ranking secured creditor, an entity owed nearly £4.8m.
New ownership confirmed
The sale of the company's business and assets, including the Dixie Dean Hotel, was completed to the purchaser on August 7, 2025. The purchaser was said to be an associated entity of the secured creditor, and the ECHO has now confirmed it as Lyell Trading Limited. The firm works with businesses that typically require finance for new build projects, redevelopments and major renovation works. It was also noted as a major creditor of the firms behind Rainhill Hall and Preston's Shankly Hotel.
