Andy Murray to open luxury hotel
Tennis champ Andy Murray is planning to transform a former country house hotel in Perthshire, Scotland into a boutique five-star property.
The winner of the US Open and Olympic tennis championships is aiming to re-open Cromlix House Hotel in Kinbuck next spring, ahead of the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Murray said the project, which will create up to 40 new jobs, enabled him to "give something back to the community I grew up in".
However, fans might be disappointed to learn that Murray will not be managing the 15-bedroom property himself. It will be managed by Inverlochy Castle Management International (ICMI), which is aiming to attract new visitors to the Dunblane area.
Cromlix House was the wedding venue for Murray’s tennis-playing brother Jamie, when Andy Murray was best man, before it closed in February last year.
ICMI already manages eight other independent properties around Scotland, including Inverlochy Castle, near Fort William, Greywalls Hotel in Gullane and The Atholl, in Edinburgh.
ICMI MD Norbert Lieder said: "We are delighted to be working with Andy in this very exciting project to redevelop and run Cromlix House.
"Our team of experts has experience in every aspect of the hospitality industry and specialise in working with independent properties and transforming them into luxurious destinations.
"I am confident that, with Andy, we can create a very special hotel in his home community.
"While we aim to create a destination that attracts visitors from around the world, we are also determined to ensure it remains a venue of choice for local people."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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