Strathpeffer hotel's China push is coming up trumps
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A ROSS businessman’s booming budget hotel is profiting from no frills.
Strathpeffer Hotel owner Stanley McMillan is filling most, if not all, of his 56-rooms with Chinese students – and the future is looking good.
The 72-year-old went into business with Beijing booking firm Smart Guide Travel following the decline of continental visitors and coach holidays.
And reflecting on the deal, which is now entering into its second year, he says it was a smart move.
The Scotland-China alliance is now branching out and buying up other hotels to cater to the same market.
The Star Hotel, in Kingussie and the Dreadnought Hotel in Callander have been added to the portfolio.
He said: “We peak in the summer months and whether we’re jam packed or not for the rest of the year is a bit iffy but we’re quite happy with that situation because I’m quite old now.
“I had been planning to retire before I went into partnership with the Beijing firm but this is a nice way to work. There’s not a lot of pressure. The bookings are done in Beijing. All we are really doing is giving the bed space and some meals. The museums and shops and other things in the area must benefit because we bring a lot of people in. Last night we had more than 100 people and we were busy over Christmas and new year.”
Official figures show a boom in the number of Chinese visitors coming to Scotland.
But while other hotels and shops struggle to hire Mandarin speakers Mr McMillan has no worries because his wife Hui-Lin is Chinese.
He said: “There’s quite a lot in the area that are dealing with the ‘Chinese invasion’.
“Our main type of business is students who are studying in the UK universities – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and London.
“We cater mainly to them but also to their friends who come and visit them.”
And he said the deal had taken him onto a more financially firm footing and in some ways allowed for an easier pace of life.
“When we ran coaches for elderly people they wanted to have entertainment and, of course, you have a lot of issues with elderly people on coaches. Now its younger people we are dealing with and they come to us usually for one or two nights.
“We had to look for a different market and the Chinese market has certainly done us well and it’s probably the same story for a lot of the local businesses in the Highlands.”
Mr McMillan previously owned Mackay’s Hotel and The Caberfeidh in Strathpeffer. The Garve Hotel was also part of his business but he sold it to David Urquhart Travel around 15 years ago.
