High hopes for new hospitality venture

● Plans outlined to build The Rissco Collection up into group of five hotels

private equity firm more than two years ago.

Taylor and Rissmann are looking to reposition the Strathaven Hotel as a destination for weddings and business conferences when the 200-capacity ballroom reopens, and plan to double turnover to £2m a year by hosting some 60 weddings annually.

While their current focus is on making Strathaven a success, the pair aim to create a group of five hotels over the next decade, with a plan to welcome guests to properties of a similar size in “characterful” rural and urban locations.

Rissmann said he was convinced that the Central Belt of Scotland was particularly well-placed to welcome growing numbers of visitors in the coming years.

The investment in the Strathaven Hotel was supported by a £1m loan from Bank of Scotland (BOS).

Evelyn Mcnair, relationship director, SME banking at BOS said: “The Strathaven Hotel is a beautiful building with huge potential that I’m sure will achieve great things with experienced operators Hans and Peter at the helm.

“Scotland’s visitor economy is hugely important to the nation and we are committed to supporting businesses like The Rissco Collection in achieving their growth plans.”