NI’s Wirefox investment company acquires St Andrews hotel

Northern Irish private investment company Wirefox  has acquired the Ardgowan Hotel through its Marram Hotels business, expanding the leisure portfolio to Scotland.

The privately owned St Andrews property was acquired by Bernard Eastwood’s firm from the McLachlan family on October 24 for an undisclosed sum.

The purchase follows the acquisition of one of Northern Irelands best loved hotels, The Bushmills Inn, earlier this year by the grandson of the late boxing promoter Barney Eastwood,, making this the second property in the Marram Hotels portfolio.

Set the heart of the home of golf, close neighbours include the renowned University of St Andrews and world-famous Old Course. The group plans to operate the three-star rated Ardgowan Hotel in its current form, with the existing team in situ.

Kathryn Robinson, Investment Director at Wirefox, said: “As an iconic golfing hotel, it’s a great time for us to be adding the Ardgowan Hotel to our growing portfolio, with all indicators pointing towards a bumper year for golf enthusiasts off the back of The Open.

“Welcoming the current staff to Wirefox’s extended team, while continuing to trade, will allow us to gain a deeper understanding of the business and continue to provide the much-loved service guests have become accustomed to. We’re grateful that the McLachlan family have agreed to work with us to ensure a smooth transition and we look forward to acting as custodian in the months and years ahead.”

Housed in a B-listed Georgian townhouse, designed by Scottish architect George Rae, the hotel comprises of 29 comfortable en suite bedrooms, with a further seven en suite rooms in a section of the property dating back to 1820. The hotel’s Playfair’s Restaurant and Steakhouse enjoys an excellent reputation, having been awarded an AA Rosette every year since 2015, alongside the hotel’s increasingly popular bar and outdoor terrace.

Welcoming confirmation of the sale, Roy McLachlan, Managing Director of The Ardgowan Hotel, said: “It’s a pleasure to be handing over the operation and ownership of the Hotel to such a professional group. The Hotel has enjoyed many years of excellent performance due to its wonderful staff and I am convinced that both the staff and the Hotel will enjoy a very bright future.”