Royal Hotel in Thurso set to re-open after being closed for a year
THE Royal Hotel in Thurso, which has been closed for a year, is set to re-open under a new owner at the end of the month.
That is the aim of Thomas Melville, who purchased the business for around £1. 3 million from the Muthu Group which bought the hotel in 2017.
Initial work is being carried out at the property in preparation for the opening but Mr Melville stressed it will take about four years to completely renovate the premises.
He plans to close half of the hotel in October – the bar and restaurant will stay open – so a more extensive renovation can be undertaken. Initially, he hopes to refurbish 25 bedrooms over the winter period with all 103 completed in the next four years.
Mr Melville, who has four other hotels – part of the Melville Hotel Group – wants to attract coach parties, people on the popular North Coast 500 route as well as local trade to the Royal. He has been looking for a hotel in the Caithness area for a couple of years.
The hotel was on the market for around £1.8 million but that figure was reduced by around £500,000 when it was sold.
Mr Melville said his team from Glasgow is working at the hotel now and he hopes to have it open at the end of May. He has recruited 35 staff on a full and part-time basis with another 10 in the pipeline. He said he received over 50 applications for jobs and described the response from local people as "fantastic".
Mr Melville revealed that he has already booked a local band, two support singers and pipers for a Hogmanay party, which includes a dinner at the hotel. He also pointed out that he has been getting bookings for the next tourist season.
Mr Melville, who started his business life in the pub trade in Glasgow and has four bars in the city, expanded into the hotel industry about seven years ago. The Royal is his fifth hotel with others in Dunkeld, Kinlochleven, Loch Fyne and Arrochar.
He purchased the Royal from the Muthu Group which ran the hotel for six years.
"It has been a long process but we got the keys at the end of April. We are carrying out an initial refurbishment so we can open the hotel at the end of May but aim for a complete overhaul of the premises, starting in the winter and taking around four years to finish," he said.
"We will be in better shape for next year and already have bookings for then. We are looking to get coach parties, people on the North Coast 500 route as well as local trade," added Mr Melville who lives in Glasgow but aims to be up in Thurso on a regular basis.