Border hotel goes bust

A HISTORIC wedding venue in Gretna has ceased trading with immediate effect.

Customers of The Gables Hotel on Annan Road have received letters saying the company — Lonsdale Hotels Limited — has stopped trading and all reservations have been cancelled. It also says that liquidators are due to be appointed on July 16.

It is understood that about 16 members of staff have lost their jobs. They had turned up for work as normal before being informed of the immediate closure.

Meanwhile, couples with weddings already booked there have been scrambling to make plans at alternative venues.

Service providers such as DJs, flower shops and caterers have all suffered from the closure.

Dave Moore and his fiance Beth, from Lytham St Anne’s, had paid in full for their wedding which was scheduled in early August.

Dave said: “Last Wednesday my fiance, Beth, saw on

a Gretna brides Facebook group that the Gables had cancelled some bookings.

“With only five weeks to go until our wedding, we were starting to get concerned so I went online and saw that The Gables website was down.

“I tried to call them a number of times but there was no answer, so I joined a Gretna Facebook group and put a post on there asking if anyone had any information.

“I started receiving private messages from others who had been booked in at The Gables, asking if I had managed to find out what was going on. I believe there are quite a number of people who were booked in for a wedding and had paid in full like ourselves.

“By Friday we had still been unable to contact anyone from the Gables. I called the Wedding Bureau in Gretna (who we have our ceremony booked through) and they informed me that the Gables had ceased trading and that the liquidators would be contacting people this week.

“On Saturday my fiance and I travelled up to Gretna. We had a meeting at the Gretna Chase hotel who fortunately had the dates available. We have now managed to book in at the Chase, who have been absolutely fantastic in helping us rearrange at the last minute.

“We were finally contacted by the creditors on Monday. We have started to try and claim back the money we are owed but we are unsure how long it will take to get any of it back.

“Our wedding is now going ahead on August 5 and we are hoping that nothing else goes wrong before then!”

Featuring 31 bedrooms, parking for 50 vehicles, a lounge bar, a restaurant, various suites and well looked after gardens, the hotel was a popular choice for couples looking to get wedded in the marriage capital of the UK.

Earlier this year the property, which was built in 1917, was listed on the market for offers over £1m.

At the time, Robert Smithson in Colliers’ Hotels Agency Team, said: “The Gables Hotel presents a fantastic opportunity to acquire a well-performing business in a prime location. The hotel continues to perform strongly, particularly as management focuses on increasing revenue from accommodation while reducing reliance on food and beverage income.

“With its strong wedding trade, established corporate market, and potential for further growth through additional rooms and brand partnerships, this is a rare chance to invest in a business that is already delivering solid returns yet still has room for further development.”