A BUSINESS brother pairing have revealed their expectations of a healthy reservation book across the summer season at their Sweeny Rooms and Apartments in Motherwell.
The Sweeny Brothers, Stephen and Martin, continue to see business opportunities as the pandemic draws to a close, announcing they are searching for more property and land to develop.
A £400k refurbishment of an old hotel on Hamilton Road, Motherwell, Sweeny Rooms and Apartments offers nine self-catering rooms with en-suites, kitchen areas and wifi.
The new venture was launched in 2020 by the two brothers as hospitality reopened after the first lockdown.
As the hospitality and tourism sectors recover, Stephen and Martin are being assisted in their current business aims by two specialist agencies within the Fusion Group of Companies.
The Fusion Group of Companies works with hospitality businesses of all sizes.
Its Accommodation Services trading company is running the reservations department for sweeny rooms.
While its specialist commercial property agency, Drysdale & Company is actively seeking suitable development properties and land that may be coming to market.
“We are really proud of what we have created at Sweeney Rooms & Apartments,” said Stephen Sweeney.
“What was a hotel that was once the beating heart of Lanarkshire is now vibrant once again, attracting business bookings and staycationers from all to a contemporary and sophisticated place to stay.
“The development enjoys a fantastic location less than two minutes from the motorway, with Scotland’s largest theme park on our doorstep, not to mention a huge country park.
“Launching in the teeth of a pandemic which was crippling travel was not ideal, but we decided to open the doors as soon as construction was complete, and are reaping the benefits now, with a very strong occupancy rate for the summer season and beyond.”
Stephen added: “Business travel has bounced.
“This is the main market we are targeting with our in-room kitchen facilities, super comfy beds, fibre optic wifi, desk provision and contemporary interior design.
“It’s a real home from home offering for those needing long term accommodation.
“If you are coming to stay for a meeting, Sweeney Rooms is the ideal place at which to stay, with more privacy than a hotel!”
Martin Sweeny added: “Using Accommodation Services to handle reservations for us has been hugely beneficial, freeing up our time to pursue other things. It’s an extremely efficient and professional service.”
Along with reservations support Accommodation Services offers other specialist services for hospitality owners and investors which are designed to maximise their revenue streams.
These include corporate restructuring support, together with more practical services of property maintenance and landscaping, property protection and security and utilities and hospitality procurement.
Martin explained that with the help of Drysdale & Company he and his brother were keen to widen both their residential and commercial property portfolios.
He said: “A Sweeney Room aparthotel in Aviemore is coming next from us, we are very excited to take our brand further north to a tourism hotspot.
“We aim to roll out this strong concept aggressively over the next five years to establish a network of aparthotels. It’s all about finding the right locations.”
“Stuart Drysdale and his huge network of contacts helps developers such as us stay one step ahead of the market.
“They understand the type of properties we are seeking, and, especially at the moment, are in touch with hospitality owners who are now looking to sell or restructure due to the pandemic.”
Stuart Drysdale completed over 1000 commercial property valuations across Scotland and the UK, whilst with Graham & Sibbald before heading up the Scottish Hotel Agency Team of an international property firm.
He said: “For us, it’s clearly not just about handling property sales. We are providing badly needed assistance – and fresh, realistic options- to the hospitality sector, at what is the most anxious and stressful time it has ever faced.
Drysdale and Company markets properties with top quality photography & videography, multiple add-ons such as 3D walkthroughs, property condition reports and full compliance checking to increase the speed and efficiency of a business transaction.
