Refurbished Machrie Hotel to re-open
THE LARGELY rebuilt and refurbished 47-room Machrie Hotel will re-open in early spring, offering a top grade establishment to visitors and locals.
It will also provide job opportunities for more than 60 people.
Included in the new-look hotel is a bar and restaurant, a private 30-seater cinema, treatment rooms, sauna and gym.
Teas and coffees will be served in the complex’s open courtyard which can be covered to provide a spacious function area for larger events including wedding receptions and dinners.
The traditional look to the road-facing side of the building has been retained, while large windows have been installed to maximise the view of the golf course and the nearby Big Strand.
The famous Machrie 18-hole golf course has also received a makeover and, among other attractions, are a six-hole, par-three course, ideal for youngsters and beginners.
Visitors can also enjoy a fully equipped golf academy and driving range, with indoor and outdoor bays, extended practice areas and a fun putting green for potential Claret Jug winners.
Difficulties with its water supply and a lack of investment saw the Machrie go into administration before being bought in 2011 by a couple who were no strangers to the Machrie links.
They are multi-millionaire and former BBC chairman Gavyn Davies and his wife the Baroness Sue Nye, one-time director of government relations and diary secretary for former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The Machrie will be operated by Campbell Gray Hotels, a company specialising in luxury hotel management. This will be the first Scottish hotel in its portfolio and the establishment’s newly-appointed general manager is the widely experienced Anne Schaeflein.
The re-opening of the Machrie is a great boost for the island, whose burgeoning tourist trade in recent years has seen the existing available accommodation at a premium.
Major building work on the hotel project was carried out by CorraMore Construction from Northern Ireland, under the direction of architect Anthony Hudson. Also involved were RAW Golf Design, Edinburgh Landscapes and the green keeping team, led by Dean Muir.
Valuable contributions to the development were also made by project manager Philip Wells of Design Box Architects and by long-standing staff member Kate MacAffer, Bowmore.