A historic seafront guesthouse in Oban has reopened following a multi-million-pound transformation into a luxury boutique hotel.
Owned by hospitality entrepreneur Paul Sloan, the Corran Esplanade business has benefitted from a six-figure support package from The Cumberland Building Society.
Previously Wellpark House, the enterprise is now trading as No. 17 The Promenade.
The refurbishment included stripping the property back to the stone to improve all plumbing and air conditioning systems, as well as a completely new interior design.
All of the hotel’s 19 bedrooms have been given a bespoke new look to “create a relaxing space and environment for guests”.
Mr Sloan, who also owns restaurant brands in Oban, Glasgow and Edinburgh, said: “I am really pleased to have finally opened the doors at No.17 to show off the fresh look.”
Substantial effort has gone into getting the hotel up to “today’s standards of technology”, he said, adding: “We took down a lot of structural parts of the building to create the space we needed.”
But some of the features of the original hotel have been maintained, including a 16th Century Jacobean ceiling in one of the public areas.
The property dates back around 120 years. It was built by a Glasgow-based shipping company during the days of the British Empire as a private home for ship owners
In 1939 the building was requisitioned by the Royal Navy. It was then used as a Women’s Royal Naval Service hospital for the duration of the Second World War.
The site reverted to private ownership at the end of the war, and in 1958 it was acquired by the Dickison Family and turned into a guesthouse. Mr Sloan purchased it last year.
Based in Carlisle, The Cumberland is the UK’s 10th largest building society.
It specialises in hospitality lending including hotels, holiday lets, buy-to-let, guesthouses and B&Bs. The group recently introduced a new managed service for its tailored hospitality sector mortgages, with each customer given a single point of contact.
The Cumberland said the support provided to Mr Sloan equated to 60% of the hotel investment, including both the acquisition of the property and its subsequent revamp.
The building society also helped with a refinancing of the entrepreneur’s Oban restaurant, No.26 by the Sea, as well as the acquisition of new staff accommodation.
Grant Seaton, senior commercial manager, The Cumberland, said: “We’ve really enjoyed being a part of Paul’s latest hospitality venture and look forward to seeing No.17 The Promenade becoming a real success in Oban and Scotland.”
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