Hotel management firm’s challenging year

The firm that manages Huntingtower Hotel in Perth suffered a significant fall in pre-tax profit, reflecting the challenging market for the hospitality industry.

Portland Hotel Management’s turnover for the year to January 2016 fell by 10% from £1.45 million to £1.3m. Profit before tax plunged from £158,000 to £8000.

Portland provides strategic and operational management to the Capital and City Hotels in Edinburgh, the Pond Hotel in Glasgow, and the Speedbird Inn in Aberdeen, as well as to the Huntingtower.

Director Alan Higgins said the hotels performed less well than in the prior period; the budget was comfortably exceeded.

Operating costs were held steady at £1.29m, in line with the previous year.

He said: “The success of the business is in part dependent upon business and consumer spending impacting on the results of the hotels under management contract.

“A marked reduction in such spending will impact on company income. However, minor fluctuations will have little effect.”

The hotel is on the outskirts of Perth.