Show Notes
From hydraulic engineer to hotel empire builder, and the moment he nearly quit it all over a coffee in Partick: David Liddell of Bide Hotels breaks down how he went from sourcing deals he hated, making himself homeless twice, and nearly chucking property in 2023 — to securing three boutique hotels across Scotland with a target of 200 rooms by 2030. If you're early in your property journey, trying to find your lane, or curious how someone raises £1.5 million in investment for Scottish boutique hotels with no track record and no money to start, this episode is the one. We go through David's path from designing hydraulic systems for offshore pipeline vessels in Aberdeen, to a first flip in Coatbridge that took 20 months to pay out, to moving into his own hotel on Boxing Day with a two-month-old baby, and eventually running three boutique hotels remotely from a laptop in Marbella. You'll also learn how David spent £10k on a brand name and logo and why he'd do it again, why a 50-page deal pack landed investors that ads never could, how commercial hotel valuations actually work, and why doing ten things you hate is sometimes the only way to find the one thing you love.
In this episode you'll learn:
Why David nearly quit property in 2023 and what changed in the first week of 2024 How commercial hotel valuations work and why bricks and mortar pricing is irrelevant The £385k purchase in Thurso that ended up £100k short on lending at the 11th hour Why a 50-page investor deal pack closed deals that ads and fancy pitches never could How David raised £1.5 million across three hotels using shareholders instead of fixed returns The real numbers — purchase prices, build costs, end values and net profit targets across all three hotels Why making yourself homeless twice was the move that kept the business alive How sourcing, assisted sales and SA management led him to boutique hotels without ever planning it
Subscribe for weekly conversations on Scottish property, hotel investing, deal structuring and the journeys that don't go in a straight line. What would you do — build a portfolio or go all in on one thing? Drop it in the comments. 🌐 Join Property Coaching Network: https://propertycoachingnetwork.com 📚 Property Coaching Intensive (PCI): https://propertycoaching.com/ 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_smart_property/ 📲 TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@davidsmartproperty 📲 LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-smart- 📲 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.smart.7393/ 📩 Business: [email protected] 🏨 David Liddell / Bide Hotels: https://www.instagram.com/bidehotels/
Chapters 00:00 Introduction — David Liddell and Bide Hotels 01:37 Where the Name Bide Came From and the £10k Brand 03:24 From Hydraulic Engineer to Property Investor 05:26 The First Deal — A Coatbridge Flip That Took 20 Months 10:25 Making Themselves Homeless to Fund SA Cashflow 13:17 Nearly Quitting in 2023 and the Coffee in Partick 15:13 Going All In on Hotels — January 2024 19:30 How Commercial Hotel Valuations Actually Work 22:00 The Thurso Deal — £385k Purchase, £100k Lending Shortfall 29:00 Running the Hotels Temporarily Before Refurb 31:00 How David Raised £1.5 Million From Investors 38:00 The Three Hotels — Numbers, Locations and End Values 45:00 Living in the Hotel With a Newborn and Working From Marbella 50:00 The 200 Rooms by 2030 Goal 55:00 Advice for Anyone Starting Out in Property 01:02:00 Final Thoughts and Where to Find David
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