Hand Picked Hotels, Julia Hands’ collection of country house hotels, has acquired three new hotels, increasing its portfolio to 17.

The three hotels, being bought from the Bridgehouse Hotels Group for an undisclosed sum, comprise the 57-bedroom, Grade II-listed Hendon Hall Hotel in North London; Audley Wood Hotel in Basingstoke, Hampshire, which is also Grade II-listed with 72 bedrooms, and the New Hall Hotel in Sutton Coldfield, a Grade I-listed 60-bedroom hotel.

The acquisitions form part of a strategic expansion of the group across the UK. Julia Hands, who created Hand Picked Hotels in 2001 from a collection of hotels purchased with her husband, city financier Guy Hands, said: “Our aim is to have 20 hotels by 2012 in strategic positions across the UK and these three hotels are a great fit for our existing portfolio.

“They are trading well and have some beautiful features. They will add 189 bedrooms to the existing 760 bedrooms in the group. The three properties, like all our hotels, are former private country houses with interesting histories.”

Alex Mackay, Managing Director of Bridgehouse Hotels added: “After huge success in turning these three ailing hotels into successful businesses, we are pleased to be passing them on to a group with a similar passion for service and hospitality as Bridgehouse Hotels.”