Hotels firm urged to help with Lovat shock closure

Abandoned: Customers left in the lurch as hotel goes into receivership

Holiday firm Best Western is under growing pressure to help families left in the lurch by the shock closure of Perth’s Lovat Hotel.

The popular wedding venue shut unexpectedly last week with the loss of around 20 jobs.

Owner Stuart Shearer has called in receivers as his company prepares to go into liquidation. He has so far refused to respond to calls and emails from The Courier – or from angry customers.

Best Western, which helps market the three-star establishment, said it would prioritise guests who have booked rooms directly through them.

But a spokeswoman said customers who had events booked, including weddings, would need to deal directly with management.

Shannon Allday, who was due to marry fiancé Shaun Campbell at the Lovat at the end of the month, has been unable to get their £2,000 payment refunded.

“We’ve just been told absolutely nothing,” she said. “We’ve been ringing and ringing, but even Best Western told us they don’t know where the manager is.

“We had 30 guests book rooms at the hotel but Best Western has only agreed to refund one because they booked directly through Best Western.”

The couple, from Dundee, have launched an online appeal to help pay for a new venue. The Gofundme page has already made half of its £2,000 target in just six days.

They have been offered a new venue at Perth’s Mercure Hotel.

Local MSP Liz Smith has called on Best Western to do more to help families caught out by the closure.

She has written to the company’s CEO, Rob Paterson, urging him to help couples who are “facing significant uncertainty and potential financial hardship”.

“The mystery around the Lovat Hotel has left guests, staff and future customers in the lurch and they are quite rightfully looking for answers,” she said. “I am calling on Best Western to give assistance to those who have booked events at the hotel as their response fell short of many customers’ expectations.”

She added: “The Lovat Hotel has been a well-respected provider of accommodation in the Fair City for a number of years and it is incumbent on the hotel’s owners to come forward and provide greater information to the guests and staff they have let down.”

A Best Western spokeswoman said there was no update on the closure. “We are working with guests booked via our channels and with our strong network of other Scottish hotels to support guests and staff affected.”

The Courier has been unable to contact Mr Shearer.

Shaun Campbell and Shannon Allday, from Dundee, outside the Lovat Hotel in Perth where they were due to marry next month. The couple have been trying to recoup their £2,000 payment.

Picture: Steve MacDougall. MSP Liz Smith has called on Best Western to do more to help families caught out by the closure.