Outrage following closure of one of oldest hotels in Borders

Alexa Brown • Published 18 Aug 2009 14:05 0 Comments

OXTON residents were left angry this week after the village's only hotel closed without warning.

Community councillors called an emergency meeting on Monday night after the owner of the Tower Hotel allegedly shut up shop only 10 months after buying the establishment.

Wendy Walker took on the hotel and inn late last year, and has reportedly blamed the recession for the economic downfall of the age-old 'Toor', telling the meeting in a letter that the business was making losses of around £2,000 a month.

But locals fear that the hotel, built more than 100 years ago, was being run 'as a hobby', with reports of infrequent opening hours and controversy around the management's decision not to let the hotel's three rooms to customers.

One resident told the Border Telegraph: "Mrs Walker blamed the recession for the business losing over £2,000 per month, but it was generally agreed by all those attending the meeting that her decision to do away with letting rooms and food service was a foolhardy business plan to start with.

"There was also general discontent about the way the remaining bar business had been run, with a general lack of welcome, even distrust of the local community, who promptly voted with their feet."

It is believed the hotel will now go on the market with an asking price of £250,000.

The village's community council are now exploring options for a possible community buy-out of the long-establised inn.

It comes only weeks after another of the region's long-running hotels closed after facing financial problems.

Staff at the Abbotsford Arms in Galashiels were left unpaid for several weeks after owners allegedly ran up large debts and missed national insurance and tax payments.

And, it is understood, last orders have been called at Springbank - the only pub in Stow.

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