Filed under: World travel
Cromlix House Hotel. PA
Tennis ace Andy Murray has bought a former hotel in Perthshire, near his home in Dunblane.
Murray, who already owns a number of properties in Britain and America, has made his biggest investment yet by buying the hotel, which is said to have cost nearly £2million.
According to the Independent, the 25-year-old plans to convert Cromlix House Hotel, which closed last year, into a luxury 15-room five-star hotel.
The Victorian mansion will undergo an extensive refurbishment before reopening next spring.
Unfortunately the US Open and Olympic champion won't be quitting tennis for a seat behind the reception desk as Inverlochy Castle Management International (ICMI) will manage the hotel on his behalf, the BBC reports.
Andy visited the hotel in 2010 when he was best man at the wedding of his tennis-playing brother Jamie and his wife Alejandra Gutierrez.
He said: 'I am pleased to have acquired Cromlix House and look forward to securing its future as a successful business.'
The project will create up to 40 jobs for the local community.
'By re-establishing Cromlix as a leading luxury hotel at the heart of the Dunblane community, we will be able to attract new visitors to the area, create a number of new jobs and focus on supporting other local businesses,' added Murray.
'I'm pleased to be able to give something back to the community I grew up in.'
The hotel dates back to 1874 and is set in secluded woodland within a 2,000-acre estate. Its facilities include a private chapel, making it a popular wedding venue.
Would you book a room at Andy Murray's new hotel? Leave a comment and let us know below...
The ten best celebrity-owned hotels in the world
- Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch, Carmel, California<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> This cosy ranch, with no less than 22 acres of land and 31 guest rooms, was created by the actor/director all the way back in 1986. It offers all sorts of different packages, including riding and golf, and you could also have your wedding here.<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> Ranges from $120 to $310 a night.<br /> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://missionranchcarmel.com/index.html" target="_blank">missionranchcarmel.com</a></p>
![Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch, Carmel, California]()
- Robert Redford's Sundance Resort, Utah<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> A skier's paradise, Robert Redford's Sundance Resort is perfect for great outdoors types, and sits at the foot of the beautiful Mount Timpanagos in Utah. The nearby town of Park City is the host of the Sundance Film Festival, which Robert helped to set up.</p> <p> <strong>Price: </strong>From $179 a night.</p> <p> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://sundanceresort.com/about.html" target="_blank">sundanceresort.com</a></p>
![Robert Redford's Sundance Resort, Utah]()
- Robert DeNiro's Greenwich Hotel<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> This TriBeCa gem has an air of delicious exclusivity, although it's not a members' club, and features 88 stunning rooms, a beautiful indoor pool, a spa and a gorgeous courtyard.<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> A Courtyard Room starts from $495.<br /> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://thegreenwichhotel.com/" target="_blank">thegreenwichhotel.com</a></p>
![Robert DeNiro's Greenwich Hotel]()
- Francis Ford Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge, San Ignacio, Belize<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> In the 1980s, Francis Ford Coppola visited Belize - and fell in love. He bought the abandoned Blancaneaux Lodge and turned it into a 20-room luxury resort where you can watch waterfalls tumble into turquoise pools from your log cabin above the jungle canopy.<br /> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://www.coppolaresorts.com/" target="_blank">ffcpresents.com</a></p>
![Francis Ford Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge, San Ignacio, Belize]()
- Bono and The Edge's Clarence Hotel, Dublin<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> Sitting pretty at the edge of the River Liffey in the Temple District of Dublin, The Clarence is contemporary hotspot, who's Octagon Bar often plays host to trendy Dubliners.<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> From 159 to 179 euros on a B&B basis.<br /> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://www.theclarence.ie/" target="_blank">theclarence.ie</a></p>
![Bono and The Edge's Clarence Hotel, Dublin]()
- Donatella Versace's Palazzo Versace<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> Glitzy and glamorous - just as you'd expect - Donatella's Palazzo Versace is set on the Australian Gold Coast.<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> A room here will set you back at least £300 a night - but you do get free bottles of Versace perfume thrown into the bargain.<br /> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://www.palazzoversace.com.au/" target="_blank">palazzoversace.com</a></p>
![Donatella Versace's Palazzo Versace]()
- Olivia Newton John's Gaia Retreat & Spa, Brooklet, Australia<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> Olivia herself calls this Byron Bay health-focused retreat 'unpretentious'. You come here to connect with nature, meditate, practise yoga and detox.<br /> <strong>Price: </strong>A pretty penny - two nights starts from £1120.<br /> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://www.gaiaretreat.com.au/" target="_blank">gaiaretreat.com.au</a></p>
![Olivia Newton John's Gaia Retreat & Spa, Brooklet, Australia]()
- Kate Pierson's Lazy Meadow Motel, Mount Tremper, New York<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> The frontwoman of the B52s (Loveshack, remember?), owns a gloriously kitsch collection of vintage trailers and cabins in the stunning Catskill Mountains, just outside New York.<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> From $175 a night.<br /> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://www.lazymeadow.com/" target="_blank">lazymeadow.com</a></p>
![Kate Pierson's Lazy Meadow Motel, Mount Tremper, New York]()
- Gloria Estefan's Costa d'Este Resort, Vero Beach, Florida<p> <strong>The lowdown: </strong>It's always a good sign when the celebrity owner actually uses the hotel herself. You'll enjoy direct access to the beach, a pool, spa, and a Cuban restaurant, in a glamorous oceanfront resort boasting 94 luxurious rooms.<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> From $179 a night.<br /> <strong>Visit: </strong><a href="http://www.costadeste.com/" target="_blank">costadeste.com</a></p>
![Gloria Estefan's Costa d'Este Resort, Vero Beach, Florida]()
- John Malkovich's Big Sleep Hotel, Eastbourne<p> <strong>The lowdown:</strong> It might be owned by a huge Hollywood star, but focus at this seafront Eastbourne hotel is on value for money. It's affordable, and boasts a tennis table and a pool room. What's not to love?<br /> <strong>Price:</strong> From £45 a night.<br /> <strong>Visit:</strong> <a href="http://www.thebigsleephotel.com/home.asp?hotelid=4" target="_blank">thebigsleephotel.com</a></p>
![John Malkovich's Big Sleep Hotel, Eastbourne]()
