Hotel to auction 3,000 items from luxury estate

A luxury hotel that is hoping to host the Ryder Cup golf tournament in 2035 is selling off 3,000 items of furniture and assets.

The two-day auction at the Luton Hoo Estate, just south of the town, is due to become one of the largest of its kind when lighting and art also go under the hammer.

The event, starting on 12 November, comes ahead of a multi-million-pound redevelopment of the historical site by its owner, the Arora Group.

Auctioneer Simon Rose said it would be "a truly special sale", partly "because of the sheer scale and quality of the collection".

Winning bids at the auction, taking place both on-site at the hotel and via a live online webcast, will support charitable causes.

The beneficiaries and total amount raised will be announced publicly after the event.

Alison Griffin, director of charitable services at Arora, said the auction was "more than just a sale; it's a chance to give our furniture a second life and support meaningful causes in our community".

She added: "We're thrilled to host an event that marries our commitment to the planet with our dedication to giving back."

The Arora Group is due to redevelop the Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa over the coming years.

Plans, which have mostly been approved, include extensive upgrades and new facilities.

They include the building of a championship golf course worthy of hosting the Ryder Cup, which takes place every two years between top golfers from Europe and the US.

This year's instalment of the biennial tournament starts on Friday at Bethpage Black in New York.

Arora Group founder and chairman Surinder Arora said the redevelopment project would create more than 350 jobs and was worth up to £170m.

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