9 bed detached house for sale

Eastbank Hotel, Cottage & Owner’S Accommodation, High Street, Rothes, Aberlour, Moray AB38

Eastbank Hotel, Cottage & Owner’s Accommodation, High Street, Rothes, Aberlour, Moray Ab38 7Au

The Eastbank Hotel is a substantial offering based in the centre of the lovely town of Rothes, located on the very popular Malt Whisky Trail. The property comprises 3 separate buildings. The buildings are well-presented, offering a sound basis for immediate business and offered with vacant possession.

Eastbank Hotel was a well-established and successful trading entity in a very prominent location on a busy tourist route. Historically this was a solid performing business. The hotel traded all year-round. The hotel enjoyed a good level of repeat business, thus ensuring consistent occupancy levels. The business had a sound reputation locally and was well supported by the local and extended community. There are a number of major projects on-going in the area which generate significant business-to-business activity.

Tourism and commercial trade are the key drivers. The North-East Coast 250 passes the door and contributes to a recurring, robust level of trade. The situation of the business is such that it is easy to locate for both those who booked via the internet and the casual passer-by seeking accommodation.

The Property

The subjects being sold comprise 3 separate properties as follows (See Title Plan):

1 - The original Eastbank Hotel, which is a 3-storey detached property, stone built under a slate roof, with the original subjects dating from the 1800s and a more modern extension to the rear.

2 - The cottage, which is split into a 2-bedroom unit on the ground floor and a 1-bedroom unit on the 1st floor.

3 - The owners' modern unit, with 1 bedroom, lounge and sauna accommodation.

Nb – The Old Bank Building was held under a separate title and has been sold.

Eastbank Hotel

The original hotel building accommodates all the public spaces: The reception, public bar/breakfast area and lounge bar. Entry to the hotel is via the rear access from the car park directly into the reception area, where there is a reception hatch to the main office. Access can also be gained directly into the bar areas from the high street. The breakfast area was previously set to accommodate 20 covers, whilst the lounge bar could easily accommodate 10 covers. Behind the lounge bar are the public toilets.

Letting Bedrooms

The rooms being traded were configured as follows:

The original hotel building had 4 guest rooms.

Room EB1 – Attic single bedroom with seating area and remote shower-room.

Room EB2 – First-floor king-sized bedroom with remote shower room.

Room EB3 – First-floor double bedroom with a remote shower room.

Room EB4 – First-floor bedroom with space for a king-sized bed.

Service Areas (Original Building)

Whilst not overly large, the commercial kitchen was well equipped. Ample kitchen storage is available, with space for refrigerated and freezer storage. Additionally, there is a laundry and sufficient housekeeping storage throughout. An office to the rear of the reception/office would enable day-to-day control of the business, and a cellar provides ease of access for deliveries from the internal courtyard.

Cottage Accommodation & Independent First Floor Flat

Included with the Eastbank Hotel is a 2-bedroom ground-floor cottage that could be used for either staff or owners' private accommodation. With the appropriate permissions, this would also be an opportunity to offer some self-catering accommodation as part of the hotel facilities. The property comprises a spacious lounge/diner, kitchenette, shower room, porch and two double bedrooms.

The first-floor element of the building is separately accessed via an external stair and comprises a double bedroom with en-suite and lounge. By adding a kitchenette unit, this would become more self-contained, making it ideal for staff accommodation.

Owner’s Accommodation (Burnside Suite)

The owners' accommodation is a one-bedroom facility, with a limited-mobility shower room, sauna, sauna changing area, toilet and lounge. This was redeveloped in 2009 to act as a gym. It could easily be used as a self-catering unit with the addition of a kitchenette unit. This flexible space offers further opportunity to develop the accommodation options within the hotel.

Grounds

The external areas are accessed directly from the High Street, via a lane between the original hotel building and the old bank building. The lane then opens into a gravel-finished area where the owners can park their cars. The main entrance to reception at the rear of the original hotel building is accessed from here, as is the old bank building, the 2-storey cottage and the owner's accommodation. The cottage and owners' accommodation unit have separate enclosed garden spaces, mostly finished with paving and some shrub borders. Please see attached title. We would suggest further clarification is sought from legal representatives.

Business Rates/Council Tax

The Eastbank Hotel had a rateable value of £15,900, reference VR27339, split as £14,500 non-residential and £1,400 residential (as at April 2023). This was before the Old Bank Building was sold. Qualifying businesses will be able to offset some of the cost against the small business rates relief scheme. The owner's accommodation within Eastbank Hotel had a council tax banding of 'B'. Nb – We would advise all parties to contact the local authority for further clarification.

Disclaimer: These properties are being sold in their present condition, and no warranty shall be given to any purchaser with regard to the existence or condition of the services, or any heating or other system within the properties.

Area Description

Rothes is situated on the A941, about 10 miles south of Elgin, and currently has a resident population of an estimated 1,200 people. This beautiful town has a long-established history with whisky distilling and is on the Malt Whisky Trail. The town boasts 4 distilleries - Speyburn-Glenlivet Distillery, Glen Grant Distillery, Glen Spey Distillery and Glenrothes Distillery - with a further 30 distilleries within 20 miles of the town. There are local attractions such as the remains of Rothes Castle, originally built in 1200, along with museums, castles, visitor centres and walks for wildlife watchers at the nearby river. Rothes makes a great base to explore the stunning Spey Valley and Moray Firth regions, offering mountain biking, rafting, sailing and hiking.

Rothes is well connected to the main road and rail networks. The main rail line can be accessed in Elgin or Keith, both a 15 to 20 minute drive from Rothes. From Keith, Aberdeen, the Oil Capital of Europe, is about 1 hour and 15 minutes away. Aberdeen International Airport, at Dyce, is passed on the approach to the city. Alternatively, you can head west from Elgin to Inverness, which is a similarly timed journey. This journey now includes passing through the new Inverness Airport station, should a local or international flight be required.

Golf is also a popular attraction within the area, with many golf courses within a short drive. The Moray coast has some stunning white sandy beaches, the most notable being at Findhorn and Culbin. The River Spey is a famous salmon river, but also plays host to a range of river activities, including white water rafting, kayaking, etc. The wide-ranging countryside offers fantastic walks, and the Cairngorms National Park, with its excellent activity centres and mountains, is a short drive away. The Old Bank Building could benefit further from trade generated through tourism; the area has a number of camping/caravan parks, numerous B&Bs/guest houses, plus self-catering accommodation. Local amenities, including schooling, social and welfare facilities, are of an excellent standard.