Historic Prestwick hotel liquidated

Aug 10 2012 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

STUNNED guests arrived at their hotel to find the gates padlocked.

And raging customers of Prestwick’s Adamton House say they were left stranded by the unexpected lock-out.

Families who had booked to stay at the mansion home, built in 1888, insist they weren’t informed of the closure.

Now they’ve hit out at hotel bosses – who took their bookings just hours before shutting the doors.

Colin Luke was due to stay at the historic house before catching an early morning holiday flight from nearby Prestwick Airport.

But he and his family were shocked to roll up with their suitcases and find the gates chained shut.

Colin, of Kelso, explained: “We pulled up to the entrance and were met with padlocked gates.

“There wasn’t so much as a sign with a phone number to contact for information.

“I’d booked with the hotel only a couple of days before and found their attitude at the time quite strange.

“They seemed to be going through the motions and didn’t seem interested in getting many confirmation details from me, as a hotel normally would. Now I know why.”

Travel review site TripAdvisor has since been hit with similar reports from families whoreceived the padlock treatment.

Reviewer Paul G, of Aberdeen, posted: “Locked out. No notices on gate to explain.

“Climbed gates and ran to main door (everything locked up).”

Adamton House has enjoyed a proud history as a base for both the United States Airforce and British Aerospace.

Latterly the House was transformed into a hotel and had been undergoing a restoration in a bid to recapture many of its original features.

The mansion house, which was built by George Alexander Baird MP, is owned by London property company Angel Group.

They own a large portfolio of housing schemes, retail projects, commercial offices, hotels, training centres and leisure developments.

The Post told last year how Angel wanted to invest £2 million in a bid to make Adamton House a top hotel.

But a spokesman has confirmed the hotel has been placed inliquidation.

They added: “Anyone who booked directly with the hotel was contacted about the closure and reimbursed the cost of their stay.

“We also informed all booking agencies, so they should have passed this on to their customers as well.”