A spokesman for the company told the Citizen this week that it would also provide 30 new jobs while safeguarding those of the present 60-strong workforce, as well as supporting the expansion of business and leisure tourism within St Andrews and the wider north-east Fife area.

He added: ''Hotel du Vin have a collection of 11 four-star boutique hotels in sensitively-converted buildings in cathedral or university towns in Scotland and England.

''St Andrews is the number one UK destination in which Hotel du Vin wish to expand their business.''

The existing building is to be refurbished throughout while retaining the popular student bar, Ma Bells.

An 18-bedroom extension will be added to the rear of the hotel along with a subterranean car park with 13 spaces, an external courtyard, better focus and pedestrian access to the hotel and its facilities from Murray Place and the town centre, re-landscaping of the public square and parking area at Murray Place and the introduction of upper terraces.

The existing function hall will be removed to facilitate the new extension .

The spokesman added: ''Hotel du Vin places a great deal of importance on community engagement, and we hope that many local residents will come along and visit our public exhibition at the Golf Hotel today (Friday) from 1-8 p.m. and tomorrow (Saturday) from 10a.m. - 4 p.m.

''It is our intention to study the results of the survey and review comments ahead of lodging a planning application with Fife Council. This will allow us the opportunity to build local views into our proposals.

''We expect to lodge an application in the summer and, if we are successful in gaining planning permission from Fife Council, the new Hotel du Vin has the potential to be open 12 months from planning consent.''