The two restaurants in London’s Soho and Clerkenwell areas have been sold for £1.2 million as the group instead attempts to focus “complete attention … on the core business”.

An Interim Management Statement published by the company yesterday stated that “losses have continued to accumulate in the nine months to 31 March 2012″.

Room occupancy rates in the group’s hotels have held up compared with last year but “continued pressure on room rates, particularly in competitive city markets, has led to a slight reduction in Malmaison revenues per available room,” according to the statement.

MWB recently appointed Gary Davies and Paul Roberts as CEO and Finance Director, respectively, and the management statement says a review of the business has already “to deliver savings and efficiencies.”

Work is currently underway on the next addition to the Malmaison chain – a 91 bedroom hotel in Dundee due to open in July 2013.

A preliminary planning enquiry for the 74-room hotel has been put forward by local bar and restaurant operator, Elysium, reports the Essex County Standard.

The four star boutique hotel would overlook the River Colne and be close to Colchester’s popular Castle Park.

Elysium was established in 2000 by Arash Afzalnia and operates venues in Colchester such as Circle, Dirty Penguin and Mimosa.

Singh has been with the company that owns the Malmaison and Hotel de Vin brands since 1998.

He had previously been the Finance Director at Warwick Balfour Properties, working alongside Richard Balfour-Lynn. Balfour-Lynn founded MWB and was Chief Executive until resigning last month.

Singh will be replaced by William Starn, who was previously FD at Mint Hotels.

THE AMPERSAND Hotel in London will open this July, just in time for the London 2012 Olympics.

The luxury boutique hotel has been created at 10 Harrington Road in South Kensington, formerly the Grosvenor Kensington Hotel.

Drawing inspiration from the famous museums nearby, the hotel’s 111 bedrooms will use design themes from the worlds of botany, music, geometry, ornithology and astronomy.

Set in a stunning Victorian building, over 120 years old, the Apersand will also offers visitors the chance to enjoy cocktails in a bar in an underground vault.

The Ampersand’s General Manager is Roberto Pajares, who was formerly a Director of Operations at the Great Eastern Hotel and GM at The Trafalgar Hotel. Room prices start at £200+VAT per night.

Visit The Ampersand’s website.

Find more London Boutique Hotels

A former ice rink in Queen Square in the city would be demolished to make away for The Light Queen Square – a six storey apart-hotel which has been labelled a “high-rise horror” by a local amenity society.

A similar scheme was put forward by the same developers earlier this year but was withdrawn after local protests. The newly-submitted proposals have two fewer rooms and have  removed balconies overlooking nearby homes.

The Light Queen Square would have 41 one-bed apartments, 11 larger one-bed apartments and 4 two-bed apartments.

The apart-hotel has been put forward by Stonehurst Estates who already operate a successful boutique hotel in Manchester under The Light brand. It has been designed by local architects Conran and Partners.

The Montpelier and Clifton Hill Association say they will be renewing their objections.

Find boutique hotels in Brighton

The news of the acquisition of a 49-bedroom hotel in Hertfordshire for £5.8million was contained in a corporate announcement on last year’s trading, published last week.

“The boutique hotel will be refurbished as a brand showcase for our products and design service,” says the company statement.

The retail chain traces its roots back to an attic flat in Pimlico where Laura and Bernard Ashley started printing table mats and tea towels.

The Stevie G was given its name by the hotel owners, Maja House Group, who are fans of Liverpool FC.

As well as being named after the Liverpool skipper, the 22-bedroom hotel in Bandung has themed rooms with names such as “This is Anfield.” and there’s reported to be life size portraits of club legends around the hotel.

More info from Talksport and the Daily Telegraph.

The break for broad-minded trios has been dreamt up by Wish.co.uk in association with the luxurious Windemere Suites in Cumbria.

Co-founder of Wish.co.uk Richard Kershaw said: “We know this sort of thing happens constantly on the continent. So, in a show of solidarity with our smutty European customers, we thought we’d offer the same opportunity to our British customers.”

Couples for whom three is a magic number can enjoy the romantic getaway with a twist for £399.

More info at Wish.co.uk: Romantic break for three

The 13-bedroom Judges Lodgings is continuing to trade while a buyer is sought for the hotel.

Begbies Traynor have been appointed as administrators of the hotel which is in a converted Georgian town house in the centre of York.

Joint administrator Andrew Clay said: “Unfortunately, following its recent refurbishment, the Judges Lodgings experienced poor trading due to the economic conditions affecting the leisure and hotel sector.”

“We are continuing to trade the business and the hotel is running as usual while a buyer is sought.”

Find boutique hotels in York

Pembrokeshire Council has decided to include the building in the sale of The Castle in Haverfordwest in mid Wales.

The building has been used in recent times as the Haverfordwest Town Museum but local councillors decided earlier this month to include the building in a sale to developers.

According to the museum website, a prison stood in the castle grounds as early as 1188, with new prisons being built there in 1779 and 1820.

“This decision paves the way for the development of a high quality boutique hotel with restaurant and gallery,” said cabinet member cllr Rob Lewis, .