AN OVERSEAS buyer has purchased the Keavil House Hotel in Crossford.

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of the 70-bedroom Best Western Plus hotel.

The property was built in the mid 19th Century as a country house and then converted to a hotel in the early 1980’s.

READ MORE: Keavil House Hotel in Crossford goes up for sale

It went on the market back in November 2020 when owners told the Press that they had decided to scale down their operations.

The four star hotel is set within 12-acres and has been extended over the years by the current owners to include a thriving health club and spa, and the Elgin Suite for large functions and weddings. Having owned the hotel since 1988, the owners are looking forward to a relaxed retirement as this completes the sell off of their portfolio.

READ MORE: Couple left devastated after hotel pulls plug on wedding accommodation

Singaporean company, Buxani Hotels Pte Limited – the hospitality arm of the family office Buxani Group – has purchased the hotel and it will be managed by Compass Hospitality UK Limited, which currently manages 20 hotels across the UK.

Gary Witham, Hotel Director of Christie & Co, said: “Whilst having the heart of a country house, this is a thoroughly modern and successful hotel which will continue to thrive and is a great credit to the owners who have developed it over the last 35 years of ownership.”

Kishore Buxani, CEO of Buxani Group, added: “We are extremely pleased to add the Best Western Plus Keavil House Hotel to our existing portfolio of hotels in the UK. This demonstrates our continued interest, commitment and confidence in the UK hospitality sector, and we hope to grow our UK footprint even further.

“We are also grateful to the existing owners for building a wonderful hospitality and leisure spa business over the last 35 years and we intend to carry on providing a fantastic experience to our guests and customers going forward.”

Harmil Singh, President and CEO of Compass Hospitality said the Keavil House Hotel was an established property and a charming addition to the distinctive portfolio of our hotels in the UK.

He continued: "Our continued expansion in the UK reflects our strong favourable outlook for the UK hospitality industry. Compass Hospitality will continue to collaborate with our partners to identify strategic hotels for acquisition and management.”

READ MORE: Keavil House Hotel welcomes Ukrainian refugees

Last month, the hotel announced it had given all of its accommodation to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

A contract with the Scottish Government meant rooms were to be allocated to refugees with many coming from the MS Victoria that is docked in Leith.

Following the announcement, several couples from West Fife contacted the Press after the decision had thrown their wedding plans into chaos.

Iain Gordon and Kimberly Adams, from Crossgates, booked the Keavil House Hotel in February last year for their big day in September and had already booked rooms for both the night before and of their wedding.

However, they were shocked to receive an email on Thursday telling them they accommodation was unavailable as it was required for a "corporate contract" and were forced to find an alternative venue.