Gartferry Hotel, 44 Racecourse Road, Ayr

The Gartferry Hotel, located at 44 Racecourse Road, Ayr, was designed by Andrew MacLachlan and built in 1867. It is a two-storey and basement Italianate villa, originally with a single-storey and basement wing to the right. The front elevation is constructed of ashlar stone, while the sides are of rubble stone with channelled pilaster quoins.

The main, south-east facing elevation features round-arched windows, with aprons beneath the ground floor windows and keyblocks above those on the first floor. There is a balustraded parapet above the central bay and balconies above the outer bays at first floor level. A stepped platt oversails the basement. A modern canopy covers the two-leaf entrance door, which is flanked by sidelights. A tripartite window is located above the entrance on the first floor. The flanking bays are advanced; a blind window sits at basement level on the outer left, while to the right are two narrow windows and a two-leaf glazed door with a letterbox fanlight. The ground and first floors of both bays feature tripartite windows, with an additional narrow window to the right at ground floor. The wing to the right has two single openings at ground floor, with basement openings obscured by foliage. A recessed section to an adjoining building has two single windows at basement and ground floor levels, and a timber door with a letterbox fanlight to the outer right.

The south-west facing side elevation is three bays wide, with a modern addition to the outer left. A modern, flat-roofed entrance sits within an exposed basement section, alongside a single window and a modern garage. The ground and first floors have regular, round-arched windows. A shallow, rectangular, advanced bay projects to the left, ending at ground floor level, with a single basement window and tripartite windows to the remainder of the floors. Modern additions are present on the outer left.

The north-west elevation is asymmetrical, featuring four bays. The basement and part of the ground floor are obscured by a modern addition. A canted window extends through the ground and first floors, while the remaining bays have round-arched windows to both ground and first floors. Further modern additions adjoin to the outer left.

The north-east elevation has the ground floor obscured by a wing and further additions. An off-centre, round-arched window is located on the first floor.

The hotel features plate glass timber sash and case windows. The roof is slated with a platform, and there are central corniced stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods are in place.

The interior of the hotel was not inspected in 1999.

A low coped rubble boundary wall encloses the site.