Andy Murray's Cromlix Hotel plans expansion to meet demand

Bookings for the existing tea room, where the menu is overseen by chef Albert Roux alongside the hotel’s Chez Roux restaurant, are almost full for 2018.

Now the hotel is applying to build a new glass-fronted Afternoon Tea Room to meet demand, alongside 27 extra bedrooms, a spa, conference and events space for 200 people and a gym designed by Murray himself.

Plans have been submitted to Stirling Council, and if approved the new facilities will open in autumn 2020.

Murray bought the 15-room mansion, near his hometown of Dunblane, in 2013 with the aim of transforming it in to a luxury hotel to “give something back” to the community he grew up in.

The tennis player also backed healthy eating chain Tossed​​ on crowdfunding platform Seedrs in 2015.

Inverlochy Castle Management International, which manages the hotel on behalf of the Murrays, expects the planned extension to create 40 new jobs in the local area.

“Since we re-opened in spring 2014 Cromlix has been a real success story, with both the hotel and restaurant far exceeding expectations and often operating at capacity,” says Graeme Green, general manager at Cromlix.

“We are now hoping to build on this success by extending the existing buildings to create additional hotel bedrooms, banqueting facilities as well as growing the team.

“We receive hundreds of calls from event organisers, couples hoping to get married at Cromlix and, sadly, we have to turn most away. This new development means we can meet this demand while continuing to welcome hotel and restaurant guests all year round.”