Laide, Sand Laide, Achnasheen, Highland

Occupying an elevated position with stunning panoramic sea views towards the Summer Isles is the Ocean View Hotel which has been tastefully refurbished and offered for sale in immaculate condition. Fully licensed the hotel has 9 en-suite letting rooms, a restaurant, bar, and great potential for expansion. The hotel sits on a large site of approximately 1.5 acres which offers a great opportunity to expand the hotel offering; possibly with the introduction of mobile pitches or glamping pods to capture more of the passing tourist trade that explore the NC 500 and what the immediate area has to offer.

Situation

Ocean View Hotel has some of the most breath-taking and panoramic sea views that Scotland has to offer. Laide is in an area famed for its mild climate and stunning coastline with beautiful sandy beaches, island views on the north-west coast of Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. There are ample areas locally that are famed for panoramic sea views and beautiful sandy beaches with plenty of safe areas for swimming, canoeing, windsurfing and sailing close by. Laide has a Post Office, mini supermarket and 24 hour petrol station. The nearby village of Aultbea, on the west shore of Loch Ewe, has a village store and a Doctor’s surgery while Gairloch and Ullapool offer a wider range of day-to-day amenities including supermarkets, shops, hotels, cafés, restaurants, pharmacies, and leisure centres. Gairloch Pier offers a wide range of boat rentals, fishing trips and excursions to see whales, dolphins, seals, porpoises, sharks, and a good selection of birdlife.

Inverness is the closest city, 75 miles away. Its airport has a range of daily national and international flights with a regular service to London airports.

Business

Ocean View Hotel has been run by the current owners since 2017 and is ideally suited for a professional couple. At present, the hotel is open from May through to October, 5 days per week. Food is served from 4.30 to 8 pm and the restaurant can accommodate 40 covers. There is great opportunity to increase revenues by expanding the offering and opening times. The hotel is run by the owners with the assistance of 4 part-time staff as and when required. Trade is split 70% accommodation, 30% food and wet sales.
Room rates range from £70 to £130 per night with occupancy levels around 85%. Most guests that stay at the hotel are tourists exploring the area and the NC 500. The bar and restaurant are popular with hotel guests, locals and other tourists staying in nearby guest houses and self-catering accommodation.
Extending opening hours during the day would be ideal to capture the daytime passing trade by serving light refreshments and lunches. Ocean View has a good mix of income from bar sales, accommodation, and meals. It currently only markets via booking.com and therefore there is a great potential to increases revenues via a concentrated online advertising campaign.
Ocean View Hotel would be an ideal acquisition for a partnership with one a chef and the other front of house.

Property

Ocean View Hotel has been substantially and tastefully refurbished by the current owners and is now offered for sale as a fully compliant turnkey business.

The property is entered via the main carpark into the reception area which has also been configured to provide café style seating. Double glass doors lead to the bar and restaurant area. This has been decorated with a nautical and rustic theme and benefits from a large wood burning stove. There is a variety of free-standing tables, chairs, and booths. At the rear is the well equipped and inviting bar. A door opens to the games room with popular dart board and table football.

At the rear of the property is a large and immaculate commercial kitchen that could be easily adapted to suits the needs of new operators. There is also a breakfast room and additional reception area that is used as a lounge and access to the lower ground floor, where there are 2 letting rooms, 1 of which benefits from the Ocean view and is set up as a family room, with ensuite. The 2nd has views over the garden, is set as a double, with ensuite.

A stair from the reception area leads to the first floor where there are 7 letting rooms. There are 3 letting rooms that benefit from the stunning sea views. There are 4 bedrooms with views over the rolling countryside. All letting rooms have ensuite bathrooms.

Ocean View is of generous proportions and is most welcoming from the outside. With a highly prominent roadside position, the property offers scope to generate a sound level of trade and provide a true lifestyle business operation.

External

Ocean View has a highly prominent roadside position, large carpark, and garden. The substantial gravel car park at the front of the property can accommodate approximately 20 cars and would be suitable for a catering van to attract passing trade as alternative to lunchtime opening. The carpark has two entrances. In addition, there is a further area of land that would be suitable for several glamping pods. There is also an enclosed garden at the rear of the property.

Services

The property has mains water, with drainage is to septic tank. Property has mains electricity, with EICR in place until 2027. Property has a wireless network covering the whole building. Freeview TV aerial to all letting rooms & games room. A Wireless L1/2 fire detection alarm also covers the whole building.

Tenure

The property is held on a Scottish equivalent of Freehold.

Trading Figures

Ocean View Hotel is a very profitable small hotel that is run to suit the requirements of the current owners. Full trading information will be released after formal viewing has taken place.