The Invercarse Hotel in Dundee has increased turnover by 10% and created 15 new jobs since changing hands in 2022, part of a wider strategy to invest in guest facilities and grow its events offering ahead of The Open Championship’s return to St Andrews in 2027.
The west end property, which overlooks the River Tay, is now owned and operated by local hoteliers Sean Burke and Paul Brownlie. Since acquiring the hotel, the pair have overseen a comprehensive refurbishment focused on elevating guest experience, improving operations and strengthening the hotel’s community connections.
Refurbishment works include the upgrade of 25 guest bathrooms, improvements to public conveniences and a refresh of the event suites and bar lounge. The hotel’s Redwood Restaurant has also been repositioned to appeal to the local lunch market, with a revamped, seasonally changing menu, a renewed focus on local produce and new kitchen equipment to support delivery.
In tandem with the refurbishment, the hotel has expanded its team, adding front-of-house positions to support operations across its bedrooms, dining and event spaces.
Co-owner Sean Burke said, “I began my career here following university, and worked my way to General Manager through various roles. Paul was running a local restaurant for 10 years prior to joining the team as Deputy Manager. Between us, we bring almost 50 years industry experience to the hotel.”
He continued, “We realised pretty quickly we were on the same page. When the chance came to buy the hotel, we went for it and haven’t looked back since. We’ve modernised the place, built a brilliant team and brought in a lot of new customers. Dundee means a lot to us and we’re always incredibly grateful for the support the local community gives both the team and the business. Keeping things local and creating a great place for people to come together has always been part of the plan.”
The Invercarse has become a key player in Dundee’s events market, now hosting up to three private functions a day across four event spaces, with capacity for up to 300 guests. Weddings, funeral teas, university balls, sports dinners and charity fundraisers are now regular fixtures.
To support the redevelopment and future growth, Burke and Brownlie secured a £3.2m funding package from Bank of Scotland, which enabled them to refinance the balance of the original acquisition and reinvest in the property.
Andy McKie, Relationship Director at Bank of Scotland, said, “Sean and Paul know this hotel inside out, they’ve grown up in the industry and it shows in the way they run things. It’s been great to help them invest in the business and we’re excited to see what they do next, especially with The Open on the horizon.”
The hotel’s work has been recognised nationally, winning ‘Banqueting Hotel of the Year’ at the National Hotels of the Year Scotland Awards, the first venue outside Glasgow or Edinburgh to receive the title. The Invercarse also picked up accolades in the ‘Caring & Family Events’ and ‘Casual Dining – Regional’ categories.
Looking ahead, the team is already preparing for increased demand in 2027, when The Open returns to St Andrews. The last tournament in 2022 brought a marked surge in bookings.
As well as its commercial strategy, the hotel continues to support local causes, sponsoring Help for Kids Dundee and the Women’s Collective.
