Premier Hospitality Scotland

Strathaven Hotel

Strathaven
Written by Roma Publications

Strathaven Hotel

Built in the style of Robert Adam Jnr in the 18th Century, the Strathaven Hotel is set in three acres of grounds on the edge of the historic market town of Strathaven in South Lanarkshire. The hotel was acquired by its new owners, Hans Rissmann and Peter Taylor, in January 2017 and has been undergoing a phased refurbishment, which is now nearing completion.

Phase one of the hotel’s refurbishment is now complete with the hotel’s new bar and restaurant now open. Work on this phase of the project has been undertaken by Jim Hamilton Design.

Speaking to Premier Hospitality about the project, Jim Hamilton said: “Amalgamating the existing bar and restaurant spaces into one area was key to the success of the project. This involved the removal of a large staircase structure and the forming of a new external terrace and side entrance from the large car park.”

The new restaurant is open for breakfast Monday to Saturday, 7am to 9:30am and on Sunday from 8am to 10am. An A la Carte and Market Menu is available daily from 12pm to 5pm with Afternoon Tea also served daily from 12pm to 5pm. The new bar closes at 12am Sunday to Thursday and closes at 1am Friday and Saturday.

Strathaven

Jim also worked on the events space within the hotel.

Jim added: “The Meeting and Events spaces were also re-shaped creating better links from reception through to the various public spaces and function rooms at ground floor level. We have re-formed this area to create a more cohesive operation that maximises the links between each of the Events rooms and the direct link to the rear garden area.”

The final phase of the refurbishment has started, the refurbed ballroom and wedding rooms have now reopened and the bedroom works are underway.

Jim said: “It is a beautiful old historic building with some original striking features.

The hotel has been a very popular destination for generations of local families who will have celebrated birthdays, christenings and weddings here and as such will be nostalgic to many.

With this in mind there is always a slight hesitation when trying to reinvent the overall look and feel of a historic property that to many is best left alone for posterity.

“Hans wanted to create the next generation of memories in a more modern environment but was also very respectful of local opinion and spent a long time gauging reaction of the local customer base.

“One of the key aspects of the brief was to merge the historical features with a modern interior and make both elements sit harmoniously side by side whilst still appealing to the hotel’s loyal customers.”

With 22 en-suite bedrooms, the Strathaven prides itself on a warm, welcome and friendly service. The hotel offers excellent dining facilities and two event rooms, perfect for meetings, weeding’s and celebrations. Ideal for business, the hotel offers free Wi-Fi and free parking (for up to 82 cars), including 2 disabled spaces, with Glasgow just a 40 minute drive away.

During all stages of the refurbishment, the hotel stayed open and was fully operational.

Jim said: “It is common nowadays to work around an existing operation when refurbishing the interiors. The staged contract was carried out by G1 Contracts who were proactive in making sure the works were seamless and had minimal impact on the everyday running of the hotel.

“Like all successful projects it relies massively on a huge team effort and Hans, G1 Contracts and Novo Architects all combined seamlessly to write the next chapter in this historic old building’s life.”

The Strathaven Hotel is set to be the first establishment to form part of Hans and Peter’s new hospitality venture – The Rissco Collection. Taylor and Rissman are looking to reposition the Strathaven Hotel as a destination for weddings and business conferences and the 200-capacity ballroom is a key factor in the plan to double turnover to £2 million a year by hosting some 60 weddings annually.

Jim concluded: “It was a very rewarding project to work on. I have known Hans for a long time and to witness both the pain he went through to get the project off the ground and the pleasure the end result has brought him makes everyone’s effort and hard work well worthwhile.”

For more information, visit: http://strathavenhotel.com/

 

 

 

 

 

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Roma Publications