Andy Murray's hotel selling alcohol at six times its retail value
comments
It has only been open a few months and is already winning awards, but Andy Murray's luxury Scottish hotel hasn't been without controversy.
Now the Cromlix has come under fire for selling alcohol at up to six times its retail value.
The hotel in Stirling, which the tennis ace bought in 2013 and opened in April this year, has been criticised by wine industry insiders for its eye-watering prices.
Sky-high prices: The Cromlix has received criticism for the price of alcohol it serves in its Albert Roux-run restaurant
One bottle of sweet wine is being sold at around six times its high street cost, while the most expensive wine on the menu is available at a five-star London hotel for £800 less than at the Cromlix.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2002 will put guests £1,800 out of pocket - despite being offered for £990 at London's luxury Berkeley Hotel.
The Cromlix restaurant is overseen by famous French chef Albert Roux and some of the wine list is personally selected by the chef and his son Michel.
Fife-based Rose Murray Brown, one of only 312 Masters of Wine worldwide, said: 'I think that they seem to be majoring on the fact that some of the wines have been personally selected by Albert and Michel Roux.
'So you are clearly paying for celebrity endorsement and celebrity association for buying from a list offered in a Roux establishment owned by Andy Murray.'
She added: 'I bet the Cromlix staff salaries don't have the same celebrity mark-up.'
Grand ideas: One of the top wines served at the Cromlix can be bought for £800 less at London's five-star Berkeley Hotel
Fully booked: The luxury hotel has been popular since it first re-opened back in April, following a huge refurbishment
One bottle of fizz at the converted country house near Dunblane is on offer for £150 less at a five star hotel only twenty minutes' drive down the road.
A bottle of Pol Roger Cuvee Winston Churchill 2000 comes in at £425 at the Cromlix, but the same vintage champagne is just £275 at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire 14 miles away.
Maggy Smith, owner of Edinburgh Wine School and a committee member of the Scottish Wine Society, said: 'These prices are very high. They are obviously using his celebrity - which is a shame, because he is from Scotland.
'A markup of about three times the retail value is quite common, but some of these are just over the top.
'Maybe if Andy doesn't know about it this will draw his attention to the prices and they will change them.'
Glamorous: The hotel opened to great acclaim, but is charging significantly more for some wines than neighbouring luxury hotels
Graeme Green, general manager at the Cromlix, said: 'The wine list is developed and priced by the hotel and restaurant management, ICMI and Roux.
'We offer guests over 350 wines selected from eight suppliers to cater for a variety of tastes and prices, with house wine available from £7 a glass or £24 a bottle.
'Our restaurant offer is fantastic value, with three course lunch at £26.50 and three course dinner for £29.50.
'Prices, along with customer feedback, are regularly reviewed by the team.'
Book your travel
![IFTTT](http://ifttt.com/images/logo_email.png)
Put the internet to work for you.
0 comments:
Post a Comment