Crerar Hotels Group, a collection of seven award-winning hotels and inns, has reported a strong trading year with both turnover and gross profit continuing to push upwards, as significant investment continues in its properties across Scotland.
The Group which during this period (to end of March 2024) reported a £1,930K increase in EBITDA and nine per cent increase in turnover in the year thanks to a healthy and steady flow of guests across its portfolio. In addition, Crerar Hotels also welcomed a 10 per cent increase in room revenue which supported the gross profit increase.
Gross profit increased by more than £1,025K (from £7.8million to £8.8 million) whilst the Group took on the management of three new hotels in June 2023, including the renowned five-star Fonab Castle in Pitlochry, Perthshire’s Dunkeld House Hotel and the Daffodil Hotel & Spa in Grasmere in the Lake District.
The success comes after years of investment and improvement throughout the Group which has delivered an exceptional performance given the market conditions and challenges faced by the industry. These results are proof of concept for its commitment to developing its teams and the successful repositioning of the individual hotels and the Group as a whole.
Continuing in its commitment to be an ‘employer of choice’, Crerar Hotels has also boosted staff numbers and increased basic salaries and benefits, increasing spend across the Group. The business bolstered its commitment to its people even further with the creation of the Head of People role (occupied by Claire Johnston) and Director of Learning and Development (driven by Laura Dunphy) which really emphasises the importance Crerar Hotels has placed on developing a strong team.
Crerar Hotel Group’s efforts to elevate the guest experience to an unrivalled level was also recognised as the hotelier picked up the national title of AA Small Hotel Group of the Year which is a highly coveted recognition within the industry.
Led by CEO Chris Wayne-Wills – who was awarded CEO of the Year by the Scottish Professional Awards as well as being the only Scottish hotelier to receive the Master Inn Holder award during this period – Crerar Hotels continues to go from strength to strength with its unrivalled offering of an authentic warm welcome wherever you go.
Chris Wayne-Wills, CEO of Crerar Hotels, said: “This a strong year for the business reaching higher turnover levels. It is incredibly encouraging to be able to reflect on a positive year for Crerar Hotels and that’s largely down to our great teams, offering exceptional experiences, that is a winning formula that has delivered this sales and profit growth.
“We have demonstrated our ongoing dedication to building and strengthening our proposition, whilst ensuring our people are well looked after and valued. Our executive leadership team, who have worked together for a number of years, have also been a key driver in our success and these results are testament to the calibre of that team.
“Crerar Hotels Group has a strong identity and service offering; our guests now know what to expect when walking through the doors to any one of our hotels. One of our biggest additions to the portfolio is the management of three new hotels which are a fantastic fit for our business. Our job during this period and moving forward is to really bring these new hotels in line with the high standards we place on our seven existing hotels. So far, this transition is going very well indeed, and we have plans to invest in these hotels in the year ahead to drive this ambition further.”
Chris Wayne-Wills added that the current financial year would continue to bring its own new set of challenges but remains confident that Crerar Hotels is in its strongest position to date to navigate these.
He said: “We have continued to focus on our investment in our people and our hotels. Our future potential continues to thrive, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to our guests and their experience, our properties and our team.”
