Sir Rod leaves hotel employees £10,000 tip to put ‘on Scotland winning the Euros’
‘I advised the boys and girls to invest the money wisely’
SIR ROD STEWART surprised staff at a five-star hotel where he spent the new year by handing them a £10,000 tip.
The singer spent Hogmanay at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire with his wife Penny Lancaster, 52, and sons Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 12.
The 78-year-old said: “I’ve been lucky enough to stay in some of the top hotels in the world and the service at Gleneagles is second to none.
“The staff do a terrific job at a very hectic time of the year and deserve every penny. It’s Scottish hospitality at its very best.”
Referring to his tip, Sir Rod joked: “I advised the boys and girls at Gleneagles to invest the money wisely – stick the lot on Scotland to win the Euros.”
Scotland have been drawn with hosts Germany, Hungary and Switzerland in the group stage of summer’s Euro 2024 football tournament.
An insider at the hotel told The Daily Record: “It was a pleasure looking after Rod and his lovely family and we’re delighted that he clearly enjoyed his stay.” The pop legend posted on Instagram a picture of himself and his sons wearing kilts at the hotel with Ms Lancaster, which he captioned: “A dedication to my wonderful Scottish father.”
His father Robert, a builder from Edinburgh, died in 1990, supported the Celtic and Scotland football teams despite growing up in London.
The family celebrated Celtic’s
2-1 win over Rangers on Saturday with cocktails from the hotel’s American Bar.
Gleneagles was recently named the world’s best hotel for hospitality and has 11 restaurants and bars, including the only two-star Michelin restaurant in Scotland.
The resort is popular with celebrities thanks to its hospitality and three championship golf courses. Guests have included Elizabeth II, John Travolta and Sir Sean Connery.
Sir Rod has had six No1 singles in the UK, including Maggie May. His new album Swing Fever, featuring Jools Holland, is set to be released on Feb 23.
Sir Rod guest starred on BBC Two’s Jools’ Annual Hootenanny programme, which was broadcast on New Year’s Eve but prerecorded.