GUARDS HOTEL LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC316722 · ltd · incorporated 2007-02-16
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Feb 2025
Net worth
£-395.9k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Hotels and similar accommodation
Sector: Accommodation & food service
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 80). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -96% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
52 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Negative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £395,892
Cash draining
Cash down 96% YoY
Cash YoY
-96%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£476
↓ 96% YoY
Net Worth
-£396k
↓ 7.8% YoY
Current Assets
£4k
↓ 70% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-02-28 | 2024-02-29 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £-395.9k | £-367.3k |
| Current assets | £4.0k | £13.1k |
| Cash | £476 | £10.8k |
| Debtors | £3.3k | £2.1k |
| Net assets | £-395.9k | £-367.3k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
2 signals detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
4
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 officers
Last 180 days
5
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 officers
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (23 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-05📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-03-05📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-03-04📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2026-02-25➖DALZEL JOB, Josephine Sarah resignedsecretary
- 2025-11-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-06-14📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2016-11-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-03-07📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2007-02-16🏢Company incorporatedAs GUARDS HOTEL LIMITED
- 2007-02-16➕DALZEL JOB, Iain Erling, Major appointeddirector
- 2007-02-16➕DALZEL JOB, Josephine Sarah appointedsecretary
- 2007-02-16➕1924 NOMINEES LTD appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2007-02-16➖1924 NOMINEES LTD resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2007-02-16➕1924 DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-director
- 2007-02-16➖1924 DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-director
Owner dependency
100/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 80 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
98/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 80 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 19 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 19 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Major Iain Erling Dalzel Job Individual · British · DOB 08/1946 · age 80 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mrs Josephine Sarah Dalzel Jobceased 05/03/2026· 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Hospitality · KY postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANSTRUTHER FISH BAR LIMITED→ SC263446 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| ASIAN CUISINE FIFE LTD→ SC868367 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ATTICA GREEK LTD→ SC752133 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AULD HOOSE WINDYGATES LIMITED→ SC627782 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AY BURGERS LTD→ SC869826 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| B&C WOK LTD→ SC884586 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| B&L BARS LTD→ SC611008 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BABETTE RESTAURANT LTD→ SC721997 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BACK STREET HOSPITALITY LTD→ SC815925 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BALCOMIE LINKS CARAVAN PARK LTD→ SC614447 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BAR SOLAR LIMITED→ SC641964 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| BARGO LTD→ SC877025 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
8 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2007-02-16
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC55100 — Hotels and similar accommodation
Registered office
Castlandhill House
Ferry Toll Road
Rosyth
Fife
KY11 2UZ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-05
Last: 2026-02-19
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
DALZEL JOB, Iain Erling, Major→
Activedirector · ~80y · appointed 2007-02-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DALZEL JOB, Josephine Sarah→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2007-02-16 · resigned 2026-02-25
1924 NOMINEES LTD→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2007-02-16 · resigned 2007-02-16
1924 DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2007-02-16 · resigned 2007-02-16
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (52 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-12
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-03-05
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-03-05
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2026-03-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-01-08