Scotsman bids for One Devonshire Gardens

The Scotsman Hotel group, which recently parted company with three of its most senior staff and made Robert Breare its chairman, is putting in a bid for the four-star, 41-bedroom One Devonshire Gardens hotel in Glasgow.

The hotel, which is home to Gordon Ramsay's Amaryllis restaurant, went into receivership last month (Caterer, 25 October, page 6).

Operator Residence International had failed to overcome the combined effects of the foot-and-mouth disease, the economic slowdown and the 11 September attacks on the USA.

Breare said: "We have contacted the the receivers and put in a bid for One Devonshire Gardens. We are very high up on their list."

Breare said One Devonshire Gardens would fit "very nicely" within the group and added that the Scotsman group would not make any changes to the hotel if it were successful in its bid.

Blair Nimmo, who is dealing with the property at receiver KPMG, said the hotel had attracted a lot of interest.

"We've got about 100 interested parties," he explained.

Nimmo added that although now was not a good time to be selling a hotel, buyers may be able to pick up a good deal.

He expected the sale to be completed early next year.