Sixteen jobs at a Banbury hotel have been saved after it was bought by another hotel chain.

Butterfly Hotels Ltd, the former owner of the Holiday Inn Express, in Stroud Park, Ermont Way, Banbury, was put into administration earlier this month. The same day, Akkeron Hotels Group bought ten hotels owned by Butterfly, saving 200 jobs stretching across Northamptonshire, Birmingham, Colchester, Stevenage and Peterborough.

The firm already owned 26 hotels, including the 40-bedroom Shillingford Bridge Hotel, near Wallingford.

The hotels were sold for an undisclosed sum.

Akkeron Hotels Group sales and marketing director, Nick Greaves, said: “The Holiday Inn Express Banbury is a good solid business that was hampered by the debt of its parent company and we have been able to act quickly to safeguard its future.

“From the customer’s perspective it will be business as usual, but the management will benefit from the support of a wider group and the funding required to trade properly.

“Our aim is to ensure that the only changes will be improvements in service and facilities.”