A five-star boutique hotel in Ayrshire, Glenapp Castle, has completed the development of its new Endeavour penthouse apartment following a £1.25 million finance package from Royal Bank of Scotland.
Owners Truestone purchased the property in 2015, and invested a further £3 million to deliver an extensive refurbishment to the castle. This resulted in a 150% increase in occupancy levels, with guests staying on average 2.5 times longer than before.
The hotel now has 21 suites, and work is almost complete on a second restaurant offering guests alternative, à la carte dining, beyond the usual fine-dining for which the hotel is known.
The Endeavour apartment, which opened in May 2021 following a £2 million renovation, covers almost 4,500 square feet of the hotel’s entire top floor. This new penthouse guest accommodation looks out over the Firth of Clyde to the iconic Ailsa Craig island, and boasts a media room, library and guest room, its own sauna and treatment room, and private kitchen together with four en suite bedrooms. The apartment is served by a butler and private chef.
The renovation of the new guest quarters, coupled with former investment into luxury guest experiences such as the Hebridean Sea Safari, aims to deliver continued growth, and will create local employment opportunities whilst attracting more visitors from the UK and abroad to the area – essential in facilitating an economic recovery post-pandemic.
Paul Szkiler, CEO of Glenapp Castle’s parent company, Truestone, said: “We have worked hard over the years to refine our guest offering, making Glenapp Castle a destination with over 65 activities and experiences available. Traditionally, more than 50% of our guests have come from overseas, and in the era of the staycation, we are extremely pleased to see very high levels of occupation.”
Mr Szkiler commented, “Both Alan Poole, and Director Mike Yarr at Royal Bank of Scotland were superb in their structuring of the facilities, and their execution. During an unprecedented period for business and particularly the hospitality industry, clear communication and timely actions have been essential in seeing the hotel move through the various lockdowns and begin to prosper once again as the economy has reopened.”
Alan Poole, Relationship Director at Royal Bank of Scotland, said “Despite a turbulent time for the tourism sector over the last 17 months, the team behind Glenapp Castle persevered to deliver on clear, ambitious plans to become one of Scotland’s premier hospitality destinations. As a key employer in the local area with a strong focus on skills development, the bank was keen to support Glenapp Castle in realising its ambitions, and it is great to see them reopen to the public once more, this time with stunning new accommodation to facilitate future growth.”
