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Substantial hostel set in the popular tourist location of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, with stunning sea views.
A traditional 41-bed hostel with guest dining and kitchen facilities.
Private and comfortable single bedroom owner’s accommodation with living space.
Separate one bedroom cottage.
Significant opportunities to develop the trading model.
Freehold
Attached to rear of the building is a single storey one bedroom cottage. This is completely separate to the main building and is currently occupied by a tenant who has been in situ for the past 13 years. The cottage consists of a kitchen, lounge, bathroom and double bedroom. This could be comfortable for owners, if they preferred to be located out with the main building.
Situated in the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Bute has a population of c6,500 with the number of residents rising dramatically in the main tourist season through the influx of visitors. Due to the spectacular natural beauty of Bute, the Island attracts a high number of tourists wishing to take part in a range of activities available for the outdoor & sporting enthusiasts with golf, fishing, cycling, bird watching, water sports and horse riding. Bute has a wide-ranging topography with sandy beaches and hills.
Access to the Island is via car and passenger ferry and Bute Backpackers is situated about a five minute walk from the town centre and Rothesay Ferry Terminal. The ferry service to Wemyss Bay on the mainland has a ferry travel time of approximately 35 minutes. To the north, Bute is separated from the Cowal peninsula by the Kyles of Bute. The northern part of the island is sparsely populated, and the ferry terminal at Rhubodach connects the island to the mainland at Colintraive by the smaller of the island's two ferries. The crossing is one of the shortest, less than 300 metres and takes only a few minutes but is busy because many tourists prefer to take the scenic route round the island.
Ideally situated, this privately-owned BackPackers is only a few minutes’ drive from the ruins of the 13th-century Rothesay Castle and Bute Museum. The town of Rothesay has recently benefited from a large amount of inward investment, which has resulted in an increase in the number of visitors to the Island. The town has a wide range of shops, restaurants and cafes plus an excellent level of social and welfare facilities.
Description
Bute BackPackers is a well-established and profitable business set within the tourist destination of Rothesay. The sale represents a sale of assets including all forward bookings. Bute BackPackers is ideally situated by the promenade, overlooking Rothesay Bay and across to the ferry terminal. The business offers budget accommodation which is extremely clean and well presented. There are at least 40 beds, with over half enjoying fantastic sea views over the Firth of Clyde.
To the rear of the building there is an adjoining one-bedroom cottage and a number of outbuildings. These premises represent great opportunities for new owners.
This sale offers a rare opportunity to purchase a substantial, respected and long-established business, which offers room for further development of the business.
Trade
The business is being sold as a going concern.
The property
Bute BackPackers is a building set over 3 levels with the ground floor being devoted to owners’ accommodation, guest lounge diner and kitchens.
The upper floors are dedicated to bedrooms and shower facilities. The building is of stone construction with a painted finish. The building is single glazed throughout. The building offers immaculately clean bedrooms with great hot showers. The rooms are configured as follows:
First Floor
Room 1 - 2 x Singles, 1 x Bunk, Sleeps 4 people with en-suite shower room
Room 2 - 2 x Singles, Sleeps 2 people with en-suite shower room
Room 3 - 1 x Single, 2 x Bunk, Sleeps 4 people
Room 4 - 1 x Single, 2 x Bunk, Sleeps 5 people
Room 5 - 3 x Bunks, Sleeps 6 people
A 3-cubicle shower and WC area is located to the rear of the building on this level
Second Floor
Room 6 - 2 x Singles, 1 x Bunk, Sleeps 4 people
Room 7 - 2 x Singles, Sleeps 2 people
Room 8 - 2 x Single, Sleeps 2 people
Room 9 - 1 x Singles, Sleeps 1 person
Room 10 - 2 x Single, Sleeps 2 people
Room 11 – 1 x Singles, Sleeps 1 person
Room 12 – 1 x Singles, Sleeps 1 person
Room 14 – 2 x Singles, 1 x Bunk, Sleeps 4 people
Room 15 – 1 x Double, 1 x Single, Sleeps 3 people
There are individual shower and WC areas located on this level. A guest tea preparation area is also located on the second floor
On the ground floor there is a substantial communal dining room which is currently set to seat 16 people. This area also has a flat screen TV and sofa seating. Adjacent to the dining room is a large, modern and well-equipped kitchen with more than ample work surfaces and modern appliances.
The property can be accessed from the sea front directly through the front door. There is also a side entrance which leads to the guest area and a back entrance allowing staff access to the laundry area.
Grounds
There is a separate laundry room located in a shed behind the cottage. The rear of the property offers a number of sheds which are currently used for storage and car maintenance. These could be developed by new owners for other purposes to provide additional complimentary income streams.
Website
All business aspects are represented well on www.butebackpackers.co.uk and is visible on social media channels including Facebook.
Services
The property has mains electricity, water and drainage is licensed under the fire regulations. Wi-Fi is available to guests.
Opportunities
This sale represents a significant number of opportunities to develop the current business, some of which are notes below:
Bike hire run from the shed behind
Canoe hire run from the shed behind
Owners accommodation could be converted into 2 bedrooms with ensuite shower facilities
Convert the front of the building at ground floor and part of the 1st floor to be large owners accommodation leaving 10 letting beds
Relocated door to bedroom 2 enclose the shower room with it
Add ensuite to bedroom 4
Combine bedrooms 5& 6 and convert one to a ensuite
Bedrooms 14 & 15 could be set up as a separate suite, including a dedicated kitchen, WC and shower facilities
Cottage roof could be removed and increased in height making it 2 storey, all as it would have been originally
This list is not exhaustive and any adjustment would need to be verified by the potential buyer as allowable by the statutory authorities.
It is the current owners desire to reduce their current work commitments and retire from the hospitality industry, hence are bringing this business opportunity to the market.
