Sale Plans Withdrawn as Roddy Bannister Named Managing Director of The Coniston

The Bannister family have confirmed that The Coniston Hotel & Spa will remain under family ownership, with the third generation now taking the helm of the much-loved Yorkshire hotel. Following a successful internal restructuring, previous plans for an external sale of the business have been withdrawn.

After leading the estate for the last eleven years, Nick Bannister is stepping back from the hotel’s operations to focus on managing the wider estate. Leadership of the hotel passes to his son, Roddy Bannister, who becomes Managing Director.

The Coniston has been owned by the family since 1969. In welcoming the next generation into the hotel, Nick mirrors the transition his own father, Michael, once facilitated for him.

“The Coniston has always been far more than a business to our family; it is a place we care about deeply and one that holds many memories for us,” said Nick Bannister. “After careful consideration, we felt strongly that the right decision was to keep The Coniston within the family and everything that has already been created here.”

For Roddy, the appointment represents a full-circle moment. Having grown up on the estate before building a career in finance, he returns to lead the hotel with a deep personal connection and professional experience.

“This place is my home in every sense,” Roddy Bannister said. “There isn’t anywhere that offers quite what The Coniston does, and I’m incredibly proud to now lead the estate into its next chapter. I’m enormously grateful to my father, grandfather and wider family for the support and opportunity ahead.”

The renewed vision for The Coniston will focus on its identity as a working Yorkshire estate, maintaining a continued emphasis on seasonal food, authentic hospitality, and estate-led experiences that connect guests to the surrounding landscape. Further details on future plans will be announced in due course.