The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Shock after popular city hotel shuts its doors without notice
Couples who have booked weddings at Lovat Hotel in Perth left in the dark
Devastated couples have had their wedding plans thrown into disarray following the sudden closure of a Perth hotel.
The city’s Lovat Hotel was shut down without warning early yesterday, sparking fears of redundancies.
International chain Best Western, which promotes and markets the venue, has so far been unable to explain the closure.
However, there is growing speculation that the Glasgow Road hotel has ceased trading as bosses – including general manager Stuart Shearer – battle major financial difficulties.
Last night one individual, the partner of a worker at the hotel, contacted The Courier to say: “All staff were notified about bankruptcy this morning that was supposed to be a pay day. None of the staff members got paid today, leaving many in financial problems...”
Guests arrived at the building throughout the day, only to find doors locked and no signs of life.
It is understood staff were inside the building, but stayed away from customers because they did not know what to tell them.
Shaun Campbell and Shannon Allday are due to get married at the venue on February 24. They have already paid nearly £1,800 for the reception, and around 30 guests have booked rooms.
Shaun, 26, from Dundee, said: “We don’t have a clue what’s going on. We’re going to have to find a new venue, but we will need our money back before we can book anything.”
He added: “We came round because nobody at the hotel was answering their phones.”
Shannon said: “I emailed the owner on Monday and asked if all of our day guests can check in early and we were told ‘yes, no problem’.”
Blairgowrie dad Brian Gellatly paid the deposit for his daughter’s wedding on Wednesday, just hours before the doors were closed.
“The first I heard was when my daughter Sarah called me in a panic,” he said.
“I had phoned them up and paid the £250 yesterday, but there was no indication anything was wrong.”
David Fyfe fears he has seen his plans for a Perth High School reunion for the class of ’96 left high and dry.
The event, scheduled for September, is expected to attract guests from as far afield as Canada and Russia. “We’ve not had a word,” he said. A Burns supper was due to be held at the hotel last night, although guest speaker, actor John Canmore, said his booking was cancelled in December.
No one from Best Western was able to comment.
The company acts as a marketing consortium, but the Lovat Hotel is run independently.