THE North West hotel market is moving from strength to strength, reports international hotel agents Christie and Co.

In its 2000 half-yearly results, Christie and Co's Manchester office reveals it has already sold some 24 hotels and guest houses with a combined value of £16.7m, after a record performance in 1999 which saw Manchester's hotel department handle 41 sales with a combined value of over £30m.

Paul Barrasford of Christie and Co's Manchester office said: "North West based businesses are particularly popular with buyers looking to escape the overheated South East market."

"Hotels and guest houses across the price spectrum are still attracting considerable levels of interest with this year's sales including a seven-bedroom rural guest house through to a 116 city centre hotel."