Scotland’s most famous luxury hotel has been sold by long-time owners Diageo in a deal worth tens of millions of pounds.
The five-star Gleneagles Resort in Perthshire was placed on the market by the drinks giant after the successful hosting of the Ryder Cup last year.
The 232-bedroom hotel and its associated 850-acre estate had been touted for sale for around £200 million but the price paid by it new owners, London-based private investment firm Ennismore, has not been disclosed.
Gleneagles managing director Bernard Murphy said: I’m delighted to share the news that, from today, Gleneagles has a new owner: Ennismore.
“We very much look forward to working with Ennismore, and are excited about the possibilities of this new chapter in Gleneagles’ history.
“We have enjoyed a great relationship with Diageo over the last three decades, culminating in the hosting of what has been described as ‘the best ever Ryder Cup’ on the PGA Centenary Course last September.
“Looking ahead, the business is going from strength to strength and bookings for the summer period are very strong. This is in no so small part thanks to the hard work of our team of 900 dedicated staff.
“For the moment our priority is, as always, to provide fantastic customer service and memorable experiences for our guests, so that Gleneagles can continue to flourish in the future.
“In the meantime, it’s very much business as usual for our members, staff and guests, and forward bookings will be unaffected.”
The Courier reported last month that a bid of around £160m by another group for the property was knocked back.
Gleneagles Hotel was opened in 1924 and has been wholly owned by Diageo since 1984. Highlights during its stewardship have included the Ryder Cup and the hosting of the G8 summit of world leaders 10 years ago this month.
Diageo chief executive Ivan Menezes said: “Diageo is proud to have been the owner of Gleneagles but the hotel is not a core business for us and therefore following the success of the Ryder Cup we feel this is an appropriate time to realise value through this transaction.”