Aim to complete the purchase between seasons while keeping the business trading, and file only after the ownership structure is fixed and the funds are committed under an agreement contingent on the outcome. Consular appointment availability varies, so it should be checked before any date is promised to the seller.
A hotel changes hands badly in August and applies badly in a hurry
Two calendars have to be reconciled. The commercial one favours a transfer of ownership when occupancy is low, so that staff, systems and supplier accounts can be moved without disrupting guests. The immigration one requires that the structure be settled, the capital committed and the evidence assembled before anything is filed, and that sequence takes longer than most buyers expect because the seller's disclosures arrive slowly.
Working backwards from a shoulder-season closing, Anselm should settle the shareholding first, then sign an agreement placing the price in escrow against the outcome, then assemble the source-of-funds trail and the seller's financial records, and only then apply. He should not begin running the lodge during visits before the application is decided. Where the property must keep trading in the meantime, the seller normally continues to operate it under the agreement until completion.