Tributes have poured in following the death of prominent Aberdeen hotelier Stewart Spence MBE.
Mr Spence passed away aged 77 after a career which spanned over 55 years and included owning high-profile hotels such as the Marcliffe Hotel and Spa and the Atholl Hotel.
He retired in 2021 following a glittering career which saw him made an MBE for services to tourism.
Frank Whitaker, chairman of Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels’ Association, said: “The hotel community in Aberdeen and the North-east is saddened by the loss of a truly inspirational hotelier, whose vision and leadership benefitted not just his own establishment, but many businesses and careers in region too. We extend our deepest condolences to Stewart’s family.
“Stewart was a real professional, recognising at an early stage that Aberdeen needed to work hard together to have legacy success from a burgeoning oil industry.
"Having positioned The Marcliffe as Aberdeen’s luxury place to stay, Stewart was a role model for business leaders. He worked as hard on external influencing, knowing that his business would benefit from better economic conditions in the region, as he did on his own hotel.
"Stewart was one of four individuals who founded the Aberdeen Hotels’ Association in the 1980s with a focus on marketing the region.
"He recognised that standards needed to be raised, and skills’ gaps needed to be filled. He was one of 14 hoteliers who created The Grampian Hotel and Catering Training Association in November 1990, which now trades as Hospitality Training.
"Many hospitality professionals who have learned, and developed their careers, in this region have done so because Stewart was able to turn his passions into actions that still hold influence today.
"The Aberdeen Hotels’ Association widened its influence and became The Aberdeen City & Shire Hotels’ Association (ACSHA), continuing his vision for a hotel community working together to improve the environment in which we do business.
"At heart, Stewart was the consummate hotelier; as comfortable playing host to international figures like Mikhail Gorbachev as he was teaching young hotel team members his standards of perfection. He was a towering figure in the region’s hotel world and many of us in the industry would be proud to leave a fraction of the legacy that he has; this truly is the passing of an icon."
Sir Jim Milne, whose Balmoral Group bought the Marcliffe from the Spence family last year, also paid tribute, saying: “I had a huge amount of respect for him and the legacy he built. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to his family during this difficult time. Maintaining the quality and standards that he set at the Marcliffe is of the utmost importance to us."