THE historic Bothwell Bridge Hotel in South Lanarkshire has changed hands for the first time in more than four decades.

The Martalo family has sold the hotel, which was initially known as The Clyde Hotel, to Manorview Group, bringing their 42-year tenure to a close.

Based in a building that dates back to the early 19th century, the Bothwell Bridge Hotel is the 11th to join the Manorview portfolio, with the deal coming shortly after the company acquired the Brisbane House Hotel in Largs in May.

Steve Graham, founder and director of Manorview, said: “We look forward to taking the baton from the Martalo family and continuing the legacy and story of this wonderful hotel and historic property. We take great pride in our properties, and this will be no different.

“Opportunities to acquire properties of this kind don’t come along often, so we are delighted to be bringing Bothwell Bridge into the Manorview collection. Like many of our venues, the building itself has fantastic character and quality, and offers so much potential for the future.

READ MORE: Brisbane House Hotel bought by Manorview Group

“While our initial focus will be on getting to know the business better, looking after customers, and supporting the existing team, we fully intend to invest heavily in the interior and exterior of the venue in the coming years. This is something we’ve done on varying levels with every venue we’ve acquired since our inception in 2006. Breathing fresh life into historic buildings is something we’re very passionate about.”

With the Bothwell hotel including 90 bedrooms, as well as dining, wedding and function facilities, the acquisition expands Manorview’s bedroom capacity by 50 per cent.

Manorview managing director David Tracey said: “Scotland has so much to offer national and international guests and adding 90 bedrooms to our capacity will ensure that as a group we can host even more visitors. The venue mirrors the model of many of our other hotels and we look forward to bringing our learnings from other properties to the table, as well as fully understanding where Bothwell Bridge sits in the market, to give future guests the best possible experience.” 

With the sale of the hotel now complete, Manorview has pledged that it will continue to operate the business as normal, with all bookings honoured.

Armando Cirignaco, former general manager of Bothwell Bridge Hotel, said: “The Martalo family is proud to have served the Bothwell community for more than four decades and, as we pass the reins to Manorview, we know we are leaving the business we have built in excellent hands with another family firm. We would like to thank the local community for their custom and loyalty and we wish the new operators every success."