Ardbeg distiller snaps up Islay hotel

Roland Worthington-Eyre has sold the Islay hotel on the Isle of Islay to local distiller Ardbeg for an undisclosed price.

Ardbeg is operated by the Glenmorangie Company, a subsidiary of the LVMH group, which also owns the Belmond hotel brand.

Located in Port Ellen, the hotel underwent an extensive rebuild before its opening 11 years ago, and has high insulation and a geo-thermal heating system. The 13-bedroom property also has a restaurant and whisky bar.

Former owner Worthington-Eyre, who developed the hotel, is retiring following the sale. He said: “The dream was to rebuild the Islay hotel which had been closed for 20 years and I am really happy that was achieved. However, now it’s time for me to retire. I would like to thank all those who were involved in rebuilding, financing and running the hotel since it reopened in 2011, without whose dedication and loyalty it would not be the successful hotel it is today. I am delighted that LVMH want to take the Islay hotel on the next stage of its journey and we all wish them the very best of luck.”

Gary Witham, hotels director at Christie & Co who handled the sale, said: “This was a rare opportunity to acquire an island hotel built to modern, high quality standards, with sustainability at the forefront. The superb vision of the original developers has translated well for the Glenmorangie Company, demonstrating the island’s position as a prime Scottish tourist location, and it’s fantastic that a local company operated by the group will be taking the hotel forward. Additionally, the price achieved for the property shows the strength of buyer appetite for quality hotels in the Scottish Highlands and island, plus the benefit of a well-structured sales process.”

The Glenmorangie Company was represented by the commercial division of Galbraith, providing property and building due diligence, and legal advice was provided by Harper MacLeod. Morton Fraser acted for the sellers.