‘One of the most creative hoteliers I knew’: Tributes paid to Scottish hotelier Ken McCulloch

Visionary Scottish hotelier Ken McCulloch has died in Glasgow, aged 76.

 

The founder of Malmaison and Dakota Hotels has been remembered by industry peers as a “perfectionist with an innate sense of what was right” and a man of “unparalleled creativity”.

 

The Glaswegian hotelier started his career in hospitality as a commis chef with British Transport Hotels, working in the kitchens of the Malmaison restaurant in Glasgow’s Central hotel and later at Gleneagles in Perthshire.

 

After working with Stakis Hotels, he opened La Bonne Auberge, a wine bar in Glasgow’s Park Circus, before launching Charlie Parker’s wine bar and restaurant at the Royal Exchange Square.

 

In 1986, he opened Glasgow’s first boutique hotel, One Devonshire Gardens, with his wife Amanda Rosa, who is an interior designer, to much acclaim. He was named Hotelier of the Year in 1993 for his contribution to the industry. In 1996, the hotel gained a Michelin star for its restaurant, which was headed by the late Andrew Fairlie.

 

 

Following the success of One Devonshire Gardens, McCulloch established Malmaison Hotel Group in 1994. Its first property was located in Edinburgh in a former church building.

 

In 1998, McCulloch sold Malmaison, which by then had grown to five hotels, to US company Patriot Group. By this point, he was living in Monaco, where he had created the Columbus hotel with funding from former F1 racing driver David Coulthard and American investor Peter Morris.

 

 

Coulthard also invested in the first Dakota hotel in Nottingham in 2004, which was later sold in 2008. The Dakota Hotels brand now operates sites in Glasgow, Manchester and Leeds.

 

In 2019, McCulloch was awarded the Special Award at the Cateys (pictured) for his “enduring contribution to creating inspirational hotels and for providing a learning ground for a whole legion of operators”.

 

He also received an honorary degree by Glasgow Caledonian University (pictured) for his five decades of service to hospitality.

 

Tributes paid to Ken McCulloch

Stephen Carter, Hotelier of the Year, 2011 and non-executive director of Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, Aberdeen

 

"I was devastated to hear the news of Ken McCulloch’s departure.  

 

"He was the beacon of excellence in hospitality, initially in Scotland then the UK as a whole, with his establishment of Malmaison as a brand and named after the restaurant in his favourite hotel of the time, a British Transport hotel, The Central Hotel Glasgow. He was always ahead of the curve in his pursuance of excellence of great simple, but well-cooked food served elegantly by elegant staff, and enjoyed in affordable but elegant surroundings. His accommodation always had an appropriate touch of luxury set against a seductive back cloth. He then went on to develop the Columbus and Dakota Brands with a similar ethos but always with the customer being served by enthusiastic, well-trained and well-presented team members. He set guidelines for his team at very hight levels at affordable prices and won the hearts and minds of his guests in doing so. 

 

"His most memorable quote which I heard him say at a conference at Balmoral Castle was ’a returning guest never looks or expects a lesser standard than his last visit’.

 

"He will be very much missed in Scotland particularly but also UK hospitality as a whole."  

 

Mike Bevans, Master Innholder

 

“Ken was truly a one-off. One of the most creative hoteliers I knew (I am a retired Master Innholder). He understood how important the brand was and how to develop it. It was very much his way. 

 

“I worked with Ken in the 1980s on the opening of Craigendarroch in Ballater, when I was general manager and he was brought in as a consultant to add some magic. I visited all his operations in Glasgow with him and it was so impressive to see that in every restaurant or bar he went into, he had a tweak for it.

 

“He believed passionately in the senses: the loudness of the music and what music was playing, the smell of the restaurant, how it looked, the art and design – usually the lighting was too bright for him – and of course the taste of the food and drink. You might have called him a control freak, but I’d just say that he was a perfectionist with an innate sense of what was right. 

 

“He was meticulous in his taste. When he opened the Columbus hotel in Monaco we went to stay and it was just so impressive. A huge loss.”

 

Dakota Hotels

 

“A truly sombre day for all who had the pleasure of knowing Ken. The Dakota team are mourning the incredibly sad loss of a truly special man, hotelier, friend and leader. Our thoughts are with his family at this tragic time.”

 

Malmaison Hotels

 

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Ken McCulloch. Ken was not only the visionary behind Malmaison, but also one of the founding pioneers of the boutique hotel sector in the UK. His legacy in the industry is second to none.

 

“As we reflect, we admire Ken’s bravery and unparalleled creativity in the early 1990s when he developed a brand that dared to be different. The waves he made continue to inspire us today and will no doubt do so for decades to come. We take immense pride in carrying forward the dynamic brand he built, and we are forever grateful for his bold vision and enduring influence.

 

“Ken also established One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin in Glasgow’s West End. Through his foresight, he changed the way people experience luxury, blending comfort and style in a way that still resonates today at One Devonshire Gardens.

 

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to Ken’s loved ones during this difficult time.”

 

Harry Murray, Hotelier of the Year, 1986

 

"Deeply saddened by the passing of Ken McCulloch and my thoughts and prayers are with his wife Amanda and his family at this very sad and difficult time.

 

"Ken McCulloch was one of the most successful, creative, and consummate hoteliers of the past 35 years. A larger-than-life character he was one of a few remaining ‘bon viveurs’ in the hospitality industry. He created hotels and hotel brands with total focus on the guest, his attention to detail was inspiring. In 2018 he was the recipient of a ‘Very Special Achievement Award at the Scottish Style Awards for his enormous contribution to the hospitality and tourism industry.

 

"On Monday I stayed at The Dakota Hotel in Manchester which had the McCulloch attention to detail throughout, at lunch on Tuesday with fellow Master Innholders including three past Hoteliers of the Year we discussed the success of Ken, not knowing he was to pass away today. RIP Ken."

 

 

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