Meldrum House has a long and rich history dating back nearly 800 years. The last Laird, Robin Duff, was instrumental in turning it into a hotel in the 1950s. Bob Edwards, together with brothers David and Terry Buchan, bought the hotel and estate back in 1993. The Knights Golf Course then opened in 1998 and celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, hosting the Scottish Men’s Amateur Championship. A multi-million refurbishment in 2009 elevated the hotel’s status and in 2016 further major investment created more bedrooms and a ballroom for up to 200 guests.
Bob Edwards commented; “After 31 years of owning Meldrum House, it is the perfect time for a new chapter, where the hotel and estate will become part of The Monogram Collective's expanding portfolio, which is the rural luxury division of Apex Hospitality Group. As a family owned and run business, we are delighted that The Springford family who own Apex Hospitality Group have the same principles and passion for what we have created and together with David and Terry Buchan, I wish them the very best for the next 30 years of Meldrum.”
Meldrum House will join Pine Trees Hotel in Pitlochry and The Vineyard Hotel in Berkshire, and forms part of their rural luxury property division under the Monogram Collective. The acquisition follows another strong financial year for the family group, supported by a £60 million refinancing package with Barclays.
Norman Springford founded the Apex Hotel Group in 1996 when he opened his first hotel in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket. Since then, the company has grown into one of the UK’s leading independent hotel groups with a portfolio of ten hotel spanning five cities – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Bath and London, employing more than 1,000 staff.
Managing Director of Monogram Collective, Angela Vickers said; “After a strong trading period across our portfolio, the acquisition of Meldrum House represents an opportunity to continue to diversify our rural property offering, giving our guests even more choice of a city or countryside option. This is an exciting time for the company and after getting to know the team at Meldrum House it was clear they share the same aims and ambitions we have at The Monogram Collective. Meldrum House will be one of our flagship hotels and we are delighted to be the next custodians of this historic property.”