Crieff Hydro secures new hotel management contracts
The Scottish company, which last month reported a profitable year of trade, has also acquired the lease to operate the Peel Café at Glentress forest in Peebles following a tender process run by Forest Enterprise Scotland.
Under the terms of the new management contracts, Crieff Hydro will operate the 46-bedroom Green Hotel, it's bar Jock's Bar, restaurant Basil's, live music venue Backstage and meeting rooms. It will also be responsible for The Green Hotel's adjacent 47-bedroom Windlestrae Hotel, spa and leisure centre and its restaurant Monty's, bar Rushes and meeting and event space.
Owner Jamie Montgomery, whose family bought the hotel in 1926, said: "Having Crieff Hydro manage our hotels is the start of a new chapter. As well as benefiting from the experience of the management team at Crieff Hydro, I am also pleased to announce that we will be investing a six-figure sum in upgrading and refurbishing both hotels."
Long term future
The Kings House Hotel, a 17th Century inn, is currently being redeveloped with Crieff Hydro already involved with owner Bidwells on developing an interim strategic management for the site. A new bunkhouse and cafe bar The Way Inn opened in November and wider plans are expected to follow to restore the original inn.
Matthew Garstang, head of finance at Crieff Hydro said: "Taking these hotels under our management has really highlighted the benefit of being part of a wider group. We have seen significant savings in the purchase price of almost all that the hotel buys, because we are working as one larger collective."
Crieff Hydro chief executive Stephen Leckie added: "We are excited about these latest additions to our family of hotels. Like all of our other hotels, these are at the heart of the local community - somewhere for a family celebration, grabbing a bite of lunch, meeting old friends for coffee or joining colleagues for the annual Christmas gathering. The continued growth of our business strengthens our position as one of Scotland's foremost hospitality companies. Crieff Hydro is one of Scotland's oldest trading companies, and through these new additions we can continue to share five generations of knowledge and experience."
