SIR ANDY Murray’s stunning hotel has been honoured with a top award as his business empire off the court continues to flourish.
The double Wimbledon champion’s Cromlix, near Dunblane, Stirling, has been named as the best hotel in Scotland.
The 15-bedroom Victorian country mansion scooped the prestigious gong at the much-coveted AA Hospitality Awards 2024.
It was among the top hotels and eateries across the UK recognised at the national event at the Grosvenor House in London last night.
The gorgeous five-star premises is set among 34 acres of woodland and landscaped gardens – and even boasts its own chapel, tennis court, and trout loch.
The tennis superstar, 37, and his wife Kim Sears, 36, bought the property for £1.8million back in 2013 and went on to have their wedding there two years later.
Andy’s grandparents, Roy and Shirley Erskine, also celebrated their silver, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries at the hotel.
The award was handed out after visits from inspectors who were impressed with the “expansive grounds”, beautiful bedrooms and delicious food.
This stunning hotel has been appointed to a luxurious standard… Service is delivered to an impeccable standard
They said: “Owned by Kim and Andy Murray (the tennis star, who was born in nearby Dunblane), this stunning hotel has been appointed to a luxurious standard.
“The expansive grounds are secluded and ideal for relaxing in; among the places of interest are a kitchen garden, a loch (stocked with trout; rods available) and a tennis court resplendent in Wimbledon colours.
“Bedrooms have been lovingly restored and include a number of unique suites.
“The hotel has its own chapel, a number of welcoming lounges and a billiards room.
“The modern, light dining space features an open kitchen where guests can observe some masterful cooking in action. Service is delivered to an impeccable standard.”
It’s not the first time that the hotel has scooped an award after previously being named the most luxurious hotel in Scotland at the Scottish Hotel Awards and the hotel of the year at the Scottish Thistle Awards last year.
It even delighted judges on Scotland’s Greatest Escape when it competed in the BBC show’s luxury category alongside Gilmerton House near North Berwick and Links House in Dornoch.
The hotel picked up the gong for the luxury category after scoring 10 out of 10 in March earlier this year, with judges calling it “faultless”.
Andy and Kim have spent £6million renovating Cromlix, and it’s since become a five-star complex with an Albert Roux restaurant.
And it has seen the hotel undergo an incredible transformation – the hotel’s former reception area has been turned into a colourful lobby area, with a huge piano sitting in the centre of the room.
Another theme throughout the whole property is the impressive collection of art which contains a mix of pieces from famous Scottish artists, as well as some of Andy’s favourite personal items.
The bar and restaurant area has been completely transformed too, while the impressive Turret Suites have a “princessy” vibe, and one that gives the vibe of staying in a castle, complete with incredible views.
Cromlix was run by a management firm until December 2022, when Andy and Kim announced they would be taking over the running of it.
And last year, Andy applied to trademark the name of his luxury hotel to launch a range of merchandise, including air fragrance diffusers, soap, perfumes, massage gels and hair conditioners.
But the couple are making more renovations to the massive hotel, which has sparked concerns about bats.
They applied to make repairs and alterations to an outbuilding on the grounds of Cromlix back in August, which will include installing a new sate roof and fitting new roof lights.
And they have been urged to check for bats after the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) warned the creatures could impact plans if they are discovered.
Bats are a protected species under UK law and it is illegal to kill, possess or handle them without a licence or to cause them harm or disturb their habitat in any way.
Andy’s growing businesses
The tennis superstar has netted millions away from the court thanks to his massive range of other business investments outside of his hotel.
Not only has he raked in over £50million in career prize money over the years, but he has also secured multi-million-pound sponsorship deals.
Andy has been sponsored by the huge brand Castore since 2019 and has even launched his own clothing line AMC in November of the same year.
But other major brands including Under Armour, Adidas, sports equipment company Head, watchmaker Rado and insurance company Standard Life, have all previously signed sponsorship agreements worth millions over the years.
He has also built up his huge bank balance with other investments, including building up his own sports marketing agency.
Andy launched the agency in 2013 and called it 77 Management after he became the first British player to win Wimbledon in 77 years that year.
