Richmond Arms Hotel, Tomintoul, Banffshire, AB37 9ET

Substantial 25 Bedroom Hotel including Dining Room, Lounge Bar and Public Bar set in Ever-Popular Village of Tomintoul.

• Substantial and traditional Highland Hotel centrally located in the village of Tomintoul overlooking the village square.

• Ideally located within the ever-popular Cairngorm National Park.

• Achieving High occupancy, with dramatic increase in advance bookings from tour companies and various websites.

• Accommodation comprises; dining room to seat 40 covers, lounge/bar seating 40/50 covers and attractive wood paneled public bar with additional seating for 20.

• 25 letting rooms with en-suite / private facilities plus 2 bedroom owners / staff accommodation.

• Recently refurbished and presented in good order throughout with ongoing investment.

DESCRIPTION

The Richmond Arms is a substantial hotel nestling centrally in the tranquil village of Tomintoul. Formerly used as a fishing and hunting lodge, the Richmond Arms Hotel is an imposing property built in 1858, with many splendid original features including ornate cornicing, ceiling rose, traditional staircase and original tiled flooring. Purchased in 2012 the present operators have established a sound business, and created long lasting connections with tour operators and booking agencies which have resulted in strong occupancy and forward bookings.

Entrance to the property is via a substantial glass paneled wooden door leading from the square, reception is straight ahead and of note is the original tiled flooring throughout this area which is in excellent condition. The hallway benefits from being illuminated by a beautiful stained glass window and a large chandelier. An imposing staircase leads to the letting rooms. The business trades on the three traditional income streams of accommodation, wet sales and food service. A bright and airy dining room is located to the right of the entrance which is attractively presented and laid to new tartan carpet. An access leads through to the lounge bar which also features tartan carpet and has a mix of soft seating and bar seating, there is also an external access to this area. The main focus of the lounge is an imposing wood paneled bar counter which allows access to both the lounge bar and the public bar for ease of service. The public bar is a comfortable area, with curved wood paneling and features a pool table and dart board.

The 25 letting bedrooms have been undergoing a programme of refurbishment, 70% of the rooms are completed, 23 of the 25 rooms have new carpeting and all 25 have new bathroom floor coverings. The letting rooms offer a mix of accommodation and are located over two floors. The corridors have also mostly been fitted with the new attractive tartan carpet. The hotel also benefits from double glazing which has also been recently installed.

LOCATION

Tomintoul is 14 miles from Grantown-on-Spey, 20 miles from Ballater and 30 miles from the Cairngorm Ski Centre, well suited to take advantage of the trade passing between these key tourist hotspots. The hotel sits within the Cairngorm National Park and benefits from ski provision at the Lecht just 5 miles away, plus snow and ice climbing in the winter. More sedate outdoor pursuits such as bird watching and fishing also draw a great many visitors to the region who take advantage of the abundance of wildlife in the region. The area is also famous for its castles and distilleries which appeal to the more pedestrian tourist who can continue their odyssey of both the Highland and Grampian regions. The area is also renowned for its whisky production and sits on the whisky trail. Tomintoul itself is an attractive village with grand stone-built buildings. The 40-foot wide main street is part of the original design, as is the grassy square that forms the focal point of the village with a drinking fountain dating to 1915. Seven miles north of Tomintoul is Glenlivet, the best known distillery to visit in the area. Glenlivet is part of the 'Malt Whisky Trail' and offers tours and visitor facilities that easily match the excellence of its location. Downhill Mountain Bike trails have just been opened on the outskirts of the village while the immediate area is well served with facilities and services for both locals and visitors alike.

THE PROPERTY

The hotel is of traditional stone construction under slate roof built circa 1858. The subjects are over three levels and a representative plan of the building is available from the selling agents.

LETTING BEDROOMS

There are 25 good quality letting bedrooms, 23 of which have private/en-suite facilities. Of note are two rooms which share a fully disabled-compliant bathroom on the ground floor. The remainder of the rooms are set on the first and second floors. The majority of the rooms are large enough for double occupancy with some being suitable for family occupancy and some having double aspect views. Many of the rooms present superb extended views over the village and to the mountains beyond.

Ground floor disabled access:

Room 1 - Twin or Double shared bathroom

Room 2 - Twin or Double shared bathroom

First Floor - All rooms are en-suite

Room 3 - Family/Superking, 1 single or 3 single - can accommodate a 4th bed

Room 4 - Single

Room 5 - Twin or double

Room 6 - Family/Superking, 2 single or 4 single

Room 7 - Twin

Room 8 - Single

Room 9 - Single/Twin

Room 10 - Double/Twin

Room 11 - Twin

Room 12 - Double/Twin

Room 14 - Double/Family

Room 15 - Single/Twin

Room 16 - Twin/Double

Second floor - All rooms are ensuite

Room 17 - Twin/Double

Room 18 - Single/Small Double

Room 19 - Double/Twin

Room 20 - Twin

Room 21 - Twin/Double

Room 22 - Twin/Double

Room 23 - Twin/Double

Room 24 - Twin/Double

Room 25 - Twin/Double

Room 26 - Family/Superking, 1 single, or 3 single

SERVICE AREAS

The commercial kitchen is located adjacent to the main bar facilitating ease of customer service. This exceptionally well fitted out workspace comes complete with some good quality facilities, refrigeration / freezer units and food preparation aids. The kitchen has a spacious pot wash, dry goods store and immediate access to the rear of the property to enable ease of deliveries etc. The business benefits from excellent general storage with a garage to the side of the property. To the rear there is most spacious external storage.

OWNER'S ACCOMMODATION

There are currently two rooms utilised as owner's accommodation with a family bathroom and private access. Where new owners require additional family rooms it is possible that a number of guest bedrooms could be converted to owners use.

GROUNDS

The Richmond Arms Hotel is a substantial property with very limited grounds but is situated in the village square which is laid mainly to grass and set to views over the Cairngorm Mountains. There is ample public parking within the village square with 10 spaces immediately adjacent to the hotel. To the rear of the hotel there is suitable parking for owners vehicles. There is a garage / workshop to the side of the subjects.

SERVICES

The subjects benefit from mains electricity, water and drainage. Propane gas is used for cooking and central heating on the ground floor.