U.K.’s Gleneagles Hotel Plans Expansion

PERTHSHIRE, UK— A 180-room luxury hotel could be built alongside Gleneagles hotel here if plans unveiled last week get the green light, according to a recent report on caterer.com. The five-star hotel is part of a £300 million (US$466.5 million), 10-year project from developer Ochil and construction firm A&L King Builders, which have applied for planning permission from Perth and Kinross council, along with the Gleneagles hotel. “Gleneagles West” would feature a luxury hotel, golf and leisure resort with a village of houses and apartments. Ochil Developments is a subsidiary of the Dubai-based Al-Tajir Group of Dubai, which also owns the Highland Spring mineral water company. Gleneagles would operate the hotel and resort on a consultancy basis. Set on land bordering the existing Gleneagles hotel and next to the Queens Golf Course, the developers hope to have the new resort fully up-and-running by the time golfs Ryder Cup comes to Gleneagles in 2014. The plan includes: * A 180-room luxury hotel with 12 self-contained chalet suites; * An international-class golf course, club house, nine-hole course and full practice facilities. * A private residential club with 50 timeshare properties. * Nearly 250 houses and apartments costing from £500,000 (US$777,450) to £3 million (US$4.7 million). Perth and Kinross council is likely to decide in early 2003 whether to grant planning permission. Source: caterer.com