Hotel Scotland Issue 40 February 2022

HOTELSCOTLAND ISSUE 040

ISSN 2515-8287

INTERVIEW

MIKE BAXTER HOUSE OF GODS

ROBOTICS: THE FUTURE?

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CONTENTS

4 NEWS 9 ROBOTICS: A REALITY?

12 INTERVIEW:

07

WELCOME

BALCONIE LINKS

15 NURTURING SUPPLIER

RELATIONSHIPS

16 DESIGN:

T

ravel restrictions have now lifted and most of the hoteliers I have spoken to are confident that tourism will come back with a vengeance, the problem is having enough staff to cope with the demand. Some hotels will not be operating at full capacity for the foreseeable future. This month we take a look at Robotics and what difference they may make to the current recruitment issues.

I also interviewed Mike Baxter - a dynamic hotelier with big plans for the future. Read what he has to say on page 12.

They say that Wellness is going to be one of the biggest draws for customers going forward. Find out more on page 20.

There is certainly no shortage of news, but check out our website for daily updates.

MIKE BAXTER

BOWFIELD HOTEL & LEISURE CLUB

18 DESIGN:

THE BRUNTSFIELD

20 WELLNESS: WHAT IS YOUR

12

STRATEGY?

22 PEOPLE

MIKE BAXTER

I hope you enjoy the read.

Susan Young Editor

16 IO

BOWFIELD HOTEL & LEISURE CLUB

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HOTELSCOTLAND • 3

NEWS

SALE OF CHARDON HOTELS SIGNALS END OF AN ERA FOR TAYLOR FAMILY

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he Taylor family have sold their family-owned group Chardon Hotels to Atlas Hotels for an undisclosed amount.

The sale brings to an end 50 years of hotel ownership for the company which was set up by Maurice Taylor and his wife in 1972 and which has been run by daughter Nicola for nearly 20 years.

Nicola Taylor, CEO and owner of Chardon Group said of the move, “It is with a heavy heart that I took the decision to sell our hotels.

This has been a difficult decision to make but it is the right decision for me and my family.

“My parents started the company in February 1972 when they converted a leased office into a ten-ensuite bedroom bed and breakfast in the New Town of Edinburgh. Now, after 50 years, we will hang up our aprons.”

She continued, “With the sale, we have ensured the company remains in the very best of hands. Atlas is fully committed to the hospitality sector. The Atlas family of hotels share our integrity and values so we have no doubt this, coupled with their experience and expertise, will result in a very bright future.”

The purchase of Chardon Group, which

includes Holiday Inn Glasgow Theatreland, Holiday Inn Express Glasgow, Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh Royal Mile, Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh Aiport, Holiday Inn Express Dunfermline and Holiday Inn Express Perth sees the Atlas portfolio increase to 60 UK sites with over 7,400 bedrooms.

Sean Lowe, CEO of Atlas Hotels commented, “Our decision to acquire the Chardon hotels reflects our ambitious growth strategy to become the leading multi-brand platform for Select Service hotels in the UK, and we are excited to welcome the teams into the wider Atlas family.

“Despite the tough challenges of trading through the pandemic, our portfolio has remained cash positive, demonstrating the resilience of this sector. Our operating model has allowed us to quickly integrate new assets and provide a stable platform for recovery and growth. Supported by L+R Hotels we were able to provide an efficient exit route to Chardon’s successful owners.”

Atlas Hotels, supported by its affiliate L+R Hotels, continues to grow with ten hotels having been acquired or opened in the last two years.

Since acquiring the 47-strong chain in 2016 Atlas Hotels has grown from strength to strength. Now centrally based at its new headquarters in Leicester, Atlas Hotels is the largest IHG franchisee in continental Europe.

The scale of the platform allows for new assets to be acquired in a timely manner.

Desmond Taljaard, Managing Director of L+R Hotels said,“ We have earmarked over £200 million to expand Atlas Hotels. We are actively seeking to add existing hotels, along with conversion and development opportunities.”

Nicola Taylor concluded, “As a family, we have devoted most of our working lives to the hospitality industry. We have enjoyed great success, but my parents agree with my decision that it is now time for us to step back.

“On a personal level, the success Chardon has enjoyed over the years is, in large part, down to the hard work and commitment which was continually shown by the team.

Everyone played their part in making it a business to be proud of and we, as a family, thank them for that.”

NO 17 ON THE PROMENADE BACKED BY CUMBERLAND BS The Wellpark Hotel in Oban is now undergoing a complete renovation and will be reopened as ‘No. 17 on the Promenade’ following a six-figure investment by The Cumberland Building Society.

The 23-room, ocean-facing boutique hotel is set to open in April having been bought by hotel, bar and restaurant owner, Paul Sloan, who purchased the site in 2021.

Commenting on the investment, hotel owner Paul Sloan said, “I can’t reiterate enough how great my experience of working with The Cumberland team has been. There is always someone on hand to offer advice on the project, which hasn’t always been the case when working with other banks.

“They have allowed me to not only invest in this project but also look ahead to future investment opportunities, which wouldn’t be possible without their help. One year ago, I felt extremely unsure about my future in the hospitality industry – now I am set to open another luxury spot in Oban, one that guests will enjoy for years to come.”

Scott McKerracher, Head of Commercial at The Cumberland added, “Despite the obvious challenges, it’s a really exciting time for the future of hospitality. We have seen a 600% increase in the pipeline in hospitality lending for hotels and holiday lets and look forward to supporting many of these opportunities, offering a fully relationship managed service to our clients.”

Valor Hospitality Partners is now managing the 4-star 240-bed Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh hotel, which now gives it a foothold in the city.

The company has significantly grown its portfolio in the last twelve months. IHG placed 17 hotels with the management company in 2021 and it strengthened its portfolio further, with the addition of two new luxury properties in development in St Andrews and Dunluce, Northern Ireland.

Brian McCarthy, managing director of UK and Europe at Valor Hospitality, said, “We continue to grow here in the UK, with close to forty hotels now operating under our leadership and we are delighted to be given this opportunity to expand into Edinburgh.

Euan McGlashan, global co-founder and CEO of Valor Hospitality, adds. “Hailing from Edinburgh personally, the city holds a special place in my heart. This in addition to our partnership with renowned chef Roy Brett and his Ondine Restaurant, means we are bringing our own very special brand of hospitality to this incredible city.”

4 • HOTELSCOTLAND

NEWS

SPRING OPENING FOR REFURBISHED MARINE HOTEL TROON The Marine Hotel Hotel in Troon, which closed at the end of the year, will re-open, following a revamp and a rebranding by owners Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts. The new-look hotel will open with 89 rooms, two restaurants as well as a new fitness and spa centre. It will open in the spring.

Red Carnation theme 100 Princes Street, Edinburgh

Nicola is pictured right in 2015 with father Maurice celebrating La Bonne Auberge’s birthday.

New owners for Lake of Monteith as Karma take over The Karma Group took over the Lake of Monteith Hotel recently, in a deal orchestrated by Drysdale and Company.

It’s the first purchase in Scotland for the group, which has a further 40 hotels throughout the world. It bought the leasehold interest in the 18 bedroomed hotel from Fleming Homesteads, owned by Ian Fleming, who have operated the hotel for the last 17 years.

Stuart Drysdale of Drysdale and Company, commented at the time, “Our client, Ian Fleming, has established the business as a quality destination venue for locals and visitors to the area, many of who use the hotel as a base to explore the wider area around Loch Lomond and Aberfoyle.” He continued, “We wish Karma Group all the best with their latest acquisition which highlights the optimism and drive that existing operators have in the Scottish hospitality market as we move into 2022 and beyond.”

Said John Spence from Karma Group, ‘We’re delighted to be able to introduce our latest

100 Princes Street, formerly Edinburgh’s Overseas League, will become the first Red Carnation Hotel in Scotland when it opens this summer. The family-run firm plan to open the luxury hotel which will have 30 guest rooms and suites and a residents-only Explorers’ Club.

The hotel is being themed around Scottish explorers who formerly stayed in the Overseas League.

The design team are restoring the original building and its many iconic features, while new features such as a hand-painted mural, and a central staircase are being introduced. Araminta Campbell has also created its custom-made tartan.

NEW CHAPTER FOR GLENEAGLES AS TOWNHOUSE GETS SET TO OPEN The much anticipated Gleneagles Townhouse will open in Edinburgh this Spring with an extensive recruitment campaign currently underway. It’s the first time in Gleneagles’ history, that the brand has expanded beyond Perthshire and it has called the move a “new adventure” and a “new chapter.”

The new 33-room hotel at St Andrew’s Square will include an all-day restaurant, The Spence, a roof terrace bar called Lamplighters which will have views across Edinburgh. It will also be home to a members’ club with exclusive access to private spaces.

Karma Group: Karma Lake of Menteith. This is our first property in Scotland and one that captures all the rural charm, timeless traditions and warm hospitality of this historic and beautiful land.‘’

ROK Hotels have been given the go-ahead by planners at City of Edinburgh Council to create a hotel on the site of the former RW Forsyth department store on Princes Street. The category A-listed building will have a retail unit in the basement and ground floor, a restaurant/cafe on the first floor and the rest of the six-floor building will house the hotel.

HOTELSCOTLAND • 5

NEWS

A hop, skip and a jump – as second Courtyard hotel opens in Glasgow Hotel Co. 51 has opened its 14th hotel.

Glasgow’s Courtyard SEC by Marriott, which is the second Courtyard to open in the city. The 216-bed, four-star hotel is located adjacent to the OVO Hydro and also includes conference and event space for 100 delegates, a fitness centre and a restaurant called Hopscotch.

General Manager, Ross Saunders, who is originally from Glasgow, has moved from the Moxy at Merchant City to open the Courtyard comments, “It’s just over 36 years ago to the day that the first Courtyard Marriott opened for business travellers. I’m proud to be launching this stunning new hotel at the SEC but also within striking distance of the thriving bars and restaurants in Finnieston.”

Built using a sustainable and energy-efficient construction, the hotel has mobile room keys and a no plastic policy in place for their bar committing to glass and 100% compostable paper cups. It also offers on-site parking and a covered walkway to the SEC.

DogHouse hotel settles into Edinburgh BrewDog opened its Edinburgh hotel Doghouse. The opening coincided with owners BrewDog being in the ‘doghouse’ in a less than complimentary BBC documentary.

The new hotel, in a C-listed red sandstone Canongate Venture building, has 20 sustainable, multi-level apartment-style hotel rooms with well-publicised in-shower beer fridges and draught beer taps. Every room has further attractions including a guitar, smart TV, record player and a curated vinyl collection. Guests can also socialise in the Atrium lounge or enjoy a drink in one of its two bars, or its outdoor terrace bar.

DogHouse Edinburgh as the name suggests is also fully dog-friendly throughout, with complimentary in-room ‘pooch packages’ for four-legged guests.

6 • HOTELSCOTLAND

BALCOMIE LINKS

Highland Coast Hotels reveal discount Community Card Highland Coast Hotels has just launched a new Highland Coast Community Card which will be applied for by anyone living within 15 miles of a Highland Coast Hotel.

The new Community card will provide a 30% discount in the restaurants and bars, all year round and a 50% discount off an overnight stay at any hotel, from October to March inclusive David Whiteford, Highland Coast Hotel’s Chairman explained, “Our locals discount scheme is just one of several community initiatives from the group. It’s vitally important that locals can socialise in our premises with friends and family and feel just as welcome as our visitors from elsewhere.”

The news comes following the announcement last month by the Scottish National Bank of a £4.45 million loan to Highland Coast Hotels to help to support more sustainable and communityled hospitality around the North Coast 500 tourist route.The finance will support the upgrade of the Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch, the Royal Marine Hotel in Brora, Newton Lodge in Unapool and the Kylesku Hotel in Kylesku, all situated along the North Coast 500.

The investment also aims to support tourism and employment opportunities that align with the

Bank’s mission, to invest in places and regeneration to reduce inequalities and improve opportunities and outcomes for people and communities. In line with the Bank’s net-zero mission, the investment will also embed sustainability in each hotel and support Highland Coast Hotels’ objective to achieve carbon neutrality.

Eilidh Mactaggart, CEO of the Scottish National Investment Bank, said, “Our investment will support a vital industry for the Highlands whilst securing quality employment, educational and training opportunities in rural communities.

“The investment will also benefit local businesses through Highland Coast Hotels’ commitment to sourcing food, beverages and other supplies locally, and partnering with other local businesses who can offer activities and visitor experiences to its guests.”

David Whiteford, Chairman of Highland Coast Hotels, said, “This investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank is not only significant for our highly-talented teams within Highland Coast Hotels, but also the much-valued communities in which we operate. We will continue to develop hotels that communities can frequent and be proud of, whilst our aim is to source all produce from as close-by as we possibly can, bringing significant benefits to the local supply chain.”

NEWS

BALCOMIE LINKS GETS SET FOR SPRING RELAUNCH Balcomie Links Hotel in Crail, which was acquired by Drygate Inns in October, is gearing up to re-open followng the appointment of Annie Cullinane (pictured left) as General Manager.

The hotel, which new owners Alan Bruce and Alastair Johnstone are currently transforming, will re-open in the Spring following the completion of Phase 1 of their refurbishment plan. A new reception area is being created and a full refit of the bar, restaurant and public areas are also underway along with a complete redesign of the bedrooms and ensuites.

Subject to planning and licensing, another bar is being proposed for Phase 2.

Before joining the hotel, Annie, was Operations Manager at Taymouth Marina, She said, “I’m already in love l and feel very privileged to be tasked with transforming this beautiful old building into a warm and welcoming space for all to enjoy.

“I can’t wait to start welcoming walkers, golfers, guests and our neighbours to the new look Balcomie Links Hotel.”

Alan Bruce, Managing Director of Drygate Inns Ltd commented, “The hotel has been a landmark in Crail for over 100 years and we plan to have the old lady looking her best for the next 100 years.

“We’ll be refurbing all of the hotel but hope to have the main bar open ASAP to give our neighbours a first look at the changes and ensure regulars don’t have to wait too long between bar visits.

“We have been working with a number of sustainability consultants and agencies to ensure we create the most impact with as minimal environmental disruption as possible in the refit and we plan to continue with that drive in our operations. Annie is as committed to this as we are and, as a skilled trainer and mentor, we know she’ll inspire and lead our team to great things. The Balcomie Links Hotel couldn’t be in safer hands.”

Annie commented: “I’ve got big ambitions for the hotel and it’s great having the support, trust and investment Alastair and Alan have committed to both myself and the business.”

Cheval partners with Chris Stewart Group to create new brand MY Locanda Cheval Collection has signed a joint venture with Chris Stewart Group to open the first property under its MY Locanda brand, in Glasgow.

The site is due to open in the first quarter of 2024 with 168 units, and will be operated by Cheval Collection.

MY Locanda Glasgow will be located on a site adjacent to Glasgow City Chambers on George Square.

Investor/developer Chris Stewart, CEO of Chris Stewart Group. He said, “MY Locanda will be a superb addition to our Love Loan development in Glasgow. Its international outlook and design-led approach will attract both short and long-term residents and matches our vision for the development which will include a range of high quality, cosmopolitan lifestyle, retail and food and drink brands. Having worked successfully with Cheval in Edinburgh, I’m delighted to continue the relationship with this new venture in Glasgow.”

Mohammed Almarzooqi, managing director for Cheval Collection, said, “In December 2018 we announced our vision for Cheval Collection to expand beyond key cities in the UK and to take on new management contracts both in the

domestic and overseas markets.The launch of our exciting new brand, MY Locanda, demonstrates that vision coming to life, and we are already talking to many developers and investors about future locations.”

Designed by Hoskins Architects and 3DReid for the interior design, it will be located in the heart of Glasgow’s business district with direct access to the pedestrianised Love Loan development.

MY Locanda has been launched as a response to demand from guests for stylish, design-led apartments where they can feel part of the local community.

The brand will centre around the accommodation but will be supported by a strong F&B offering and The Lounge, a vibrant community space open to guests and local residents. MY Locanda blurs the lines between hotels, serviced apartments and co-living, with communal kitchens and the ‘Wall of Curiosity’, allowing residents the chance to borrow and loan items sourced from the community for their stay.

MY Locanda aims to appeal to those with an independent, youthful mindset travelling for leisure or business, solo, as a family or in groups of friends who enjoy engaging with the local scene.

The Old Manor Hotel in Lundin Links has been bought by the Wallace family, who also own the Pettycur Bay Holiday Park and the four-star Bay Hotel in Fife. The 23-bedroom hotel was on the market with a guide price of £1.2m.

The former 19th-century mansion house, overlooking the Lundin Links golf course, became a hotel in 1994 and was bought by Alistair and Judy Saddler in May 2010. The Wallace family now plan to redevelop the 23 bedroom property, which also includes a Sea View Restaurant, a cocktail bar and lounge. It also has a self-contained meeting and conference area, which can cater for up to 120 guests, and a former restaurant lodge building in the carpark.

Their first task will be upgrading the accommodation a task which was started by the previous owners.

Amity Hospitality, the specialist Hotel Management Company which has run The Green Hotel in Kinross has invested a further £50K on top of £50K spent earlier last year, refurbishing the hotel’s main reception area, corridors and further work, including installing new TV’s in its bedrooms to gain a four-star rating as soon as it can and ahead of The Open at St Andrews this summer.

The Bracken Hide Hotel in Portree will add a new dimension to the accommodation offering in Skye when it opens later this year.

This 50+ plus capacity hotel will have 27-pod rooms on the 50-acre site, with the hub building housing restaurant, lounge and whisky room with bespoke flooring and handmade furniture.

Curley Concepts are the principal contractors and West Port designed the hotel to fit sympathetically into the dramatic landscape of Skye with its dry stone wall and curved roof.

The name of the hotel, which is being built on the site of the former golf course on the Struan Road in Portree, was suggested

by Skeabost resident Ian Williams. He won a competition which 300 people entered.

Hotel owner, Charles Garton Jones, a London-based property developer who also owns the Cow Shed, a boutique bunkhouse in Uig, picked Ian’s suggestion - ‘The Bracken Hide’.

Fonab Castle in Pitlochry has been sold by its Manchester-based owners Jed and Joanne Clark, who are currently developing Crichton Hall in Dumfries and Galloway., to a Cornwall-registered real estate company Fonab SPV. HOTELSCOTLAND • 7

FEATURE

BY NICOLA YOUNG

ROBOTICS: A REALITY? “The hospitality robots market, valued at $295.5 million in 2020, is estimated to reach $3,083 million by 2030.”

F

rom chatbots to robot assistants, the use of robots in the hospitality industry has become more widespread in recent times and the hospitality robots market, valued at $295.5 million in 2020, is estimated to reach $3,083 million by 2030. From artificial intelligence chatbots to auxiliary robots, the hotel industry is developing robots to support customer service processes at a rapid pace.

Robots first caught the attention of the hospitality sector in the early 2000s and by 2015 many hotels had started to test and implement robots within their business. The Henn-na in Japan was one of the first and is probably one the best known early innovators.

Today, the technologies that include AI, robotics and IoT are believed to help with a number of problems that hotels are facing.

This includes the high turnover of trained staff, shortages in unskilled staff and to help with dull and repetitive tasks that can lead to lack of motivation. With staff costs anywhere between 35%-50%+ of operational costs, it means that the industry is already embracing this ‘new’ technology and looking at, not only the services that suit robot technology but also the different investment and staff choices that will support

this new way of working.

Throughout the hotel, robots are already used to provide information, front desk services, storage services, as well as check-in and check out services, with technology including voice and facial recognition.

By now, most hospitality businesses will have heard about the use of robots in the sector and, with the current shortage of staff, it is set to become an area of considerable interest. But robots are being used to not only provide a competitive edge and free up staff time but to help personalise a guests stay. The Marriott hotel in Ghent - one of the first hotels to employ a robot in Europe 2016, managed to make their robot, Mario, a mini local celebrity.

The National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University is a global leader in robotics and autonomous systems and it invited some Scottish hoteliers to the Robotarium recently. to showcase what Robots are capable of now.

The most surprising takeaway was the focus on collaborative working between human staff and robots. MIT has already found that robothuman teams were more effective than purely robot or purely human teams.

Research published in ScienceDirect in 2020 showed that service robots outperformed

HOTELSCOTLAND • 9

FEATURE ROSIE PICTURED LEFT

The best way to understand what robots can do now is to take a look at how they are already being used in hotels across the world.

HOUSEKEEPING

humans in high customer contact settings when they were performing standardised tasks but the evidence also revealed that “service robots have not yet achieved the desired technological maturity to proficiently replace humans”. One of the key areas is the level of human interaction and how robots respond to tasks that they have not been programmed for.

There is no doubt, that this technology will get even better and that already today, it is proving to not only help plug the gaps in staff shortages but also provide better customer experiences.

According to Dr Björn Schuller, professor of AI at Imperial College London, “Where a bot is most useful is not in place of a social context, but when you want precise information in as short a time as possible or to save you waiting for something,” he has said.

So, just what is a robot? Unlike familiar technology such as phones, laptops or door sensors, robots need to be able to move 10 • HOTELSCOTLAND

around and to interact with objects e.g to clean them or to grab a door handle to open the door. These features are known as actuators.

They also need sensors that enable them to understand the environment they are in - in real-time. eg. routes to follow, getting around obstacles etc This can be done by mapping the hotel to build the route that the robot can use to navigate. If there is an object in the way the robot will move around it and knew where to go - it will then return to its original route when the object is no longer there. All of this involves the Internet of Things (IoT) and that uses sensors that are integrated into the fabric of the building (and includes the use of wi-fi).

Robots also need to know the ‘state’ they are in. This means knowing if they need charged or what position it is in. Ideally, you want the robot to know when to re-charge itself and how to get to the charging point and you want it do this by itself.

Housekeeping is one of the most important, and resource-heavy, areas of hotel management.

Robots are now being used for bed-making, replacing and folding towels, linen delivery, emptying bins, toilet cleaning, vacuuming and washing floors. These repetitive and labour intensive tasks are ideal for current robot technology and need minimal guest interaction, One type of robot has been specifically engineered to clean and disinfect rooms with some hotels in Japan reporting that it was a key feature for hotel guests during the pandemic.

RLH Corporation, or Red Lion Hotels, is now one of the largest hotel chains in the US, and it has put technology at the heart of its business since 2018. In 2019 it created a new subsidiary called RLabs, Inc., a travel technology-based innovator.

Its housekeeping robot was designed as part of a partnership with Peanut Robotics and was designed to do supplemental housekeeping work alongside a human housekeeper, such as cleaning toilets and collecting linens, allowing housekeepers to focus on other aspects of their job. To make sure that it can’t harm anyone, the arm’s level of strength is set so that it is lower than humans. Although it handles some routine housekeeping tasks, the company plans to add other functionalities in the future, including stocking minibars.

According to John Edwards, RLH Corporation’s chief technology officer, “Really, the goal is to augment customer service,” he goes on, “If we can allow housekeeping to focus on cleanliness and service, that is a win for us.”

In terms of suppliers, there are quite a few.

Maidbot has a robot called Rosie that vacuums rooms and is powered by a Tesla battery. Its’

learning algorithms and data updates are used to help understand guest behaviour. It claims that it can clean rooms 20 per cent faster and public areas up to 80 per cent faster than human housekeepers.

PORTER AND ROOM SERVICE Porter and delivery robots have been in use at hotels almost since the beginning. Aloft Cupertino was one of the first to test this technology way back in 2014. It used the Relay robot by Savioke and others now include the Tug robots by Aethon to deliver room and porter services including luggage, and linen.

Hotel Trio in San Jose uses a simple armless robot called Rosé, also by Savioke. The automated delivery bot, which has been working at the hotel since 2018, came into its own after social distancing regulations were put in place and has been very popular for wine delivery and it can be programmed to deliver items to different rooms. Once it arrives outside the door, guests receive a call that it is waiting outside. After delivery Rosé returns to base and is sanitised. Scott Satterfield, general manager of Hotel Trio, says, “For guests who prefer contactless deliveries, Rosé provides them with peace of mind as she can deliver items to their suite.”

Lauren Schechtman, vice president of marketing and sales at Savioke, who supplied the robot explained that technicians map the facility and program the robots with instructions about where to travel to on each floor. “Once the robot is programmed, it’s basically selfsufficient until the next software upgrade,” she said.

At Yotel in New York, its ‘Yobot’ collects and delivers luggage for guests and it can handle 300 items of luggage a day. This means that staff can focus on other tasks rather and is intended to reduce the waiting time for guests at the check-in and concierge desks.

In Chicago, Hotel EMC2 has two 3 fest high robots called Cloe and Leo and they have name tags and a ‘uniform’. This pair of robots help housekeeping by responding to guest room delivery requests such as an extra towel, or a snack. In 2019, around 50% of guests called upon Leo or Cleo during their stays, and inroom dining revenues increased by 30%.

The use of name tags and uniforms isn’t actually a gimmick. One way to improve guest acceptance and trust, according to the classic technology acceptance model, is to add ‘some’ human-like attributes to robots.

FRONT DESK & CONCIERGE Alibaba’s FlyZoo Hotel is often called the “hotel of the future”. Its robots and technology

are centred around a bespoke mobile application. Checking in and access via facial recognition have been dramatically streamlined and voice-activated room service bots work with autonomous smart machines which then deliver room service to guests.

Connie is a robot concierge, used by Hilton.

The robot makes use of an artificial intelligence platform developed by IBM. It is able to interact with guests and respond to their questions, thanks to its speech recognition capabilities of Watson’s AI. The system also learns and adapts with each interaction, improving the answers it provides.

The Henn-na Hotel in Japan became the first hotel in the world to be entirely staffed by robots. Robots are deployed to provide information, front desk services, storage services, as well as check-in and check out services, with technology including voice and facial recognition. Their front desk robots look entirely like humans and include ‘male’ and ‘female’ versions which talk to guests as they are automatically checked-in - they even perform the customary bow.

The Henn-na pared back the ratio of robots to humans and eventually lowered the overall number of robots. There are some valuable lessons there. Another of which was the level of complaints from guests because of the robots breaking down. This was, of course, a long time ago and at a time when this technology was new, but it points to the need for a new staff structure that includes people who understand technology but also to the importance of humans and robots working together.

At the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Las Vegas robots are used as “technical ambassadors“.

The robots are placed at strategic points so that they can answer common questions. Examples include the location of elevators, the ability to give directions to a specific room or even to recommend certain types of food.

FOOD/ DINING There are some great examples of how robots are being used in the kitchen and includes places like Spyce in Boston, Creator Burger in San Francisco, and even at the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium where the robots cook the food in the fryers. The robot can be used for burger flipping, food preparation, and in the case of Spyce, they mix the ingredients created

by Culinary Director and Chef Daniel Boulud, transfer these to a wok for cooking then transfer the meal to the delivery dish (and then clean the wok).

In all cases, the savings in preparation are re-invested into better quality raw ingredients providing a better experience to the consumer.

In the case of Creator Burger, they have been able to improve the burger quality and still compete with MacDonalds on price. Spyce can

deliver a meal to the customer for a charge of $7.50.

Hotels themselves are already using robots to deliver meals via Room Service and hotel robots as waiters are also being trialled. These robots can take orders as well as deliver food. Some use tracks to get around and some can move freely around the dining room. For relatively simple dishes, a robots level of accuracy means that they can accommodate specific needs such as glutenfree or low-calorie dishes and they can be useful for the production of bulk meals that need to be prepared in a timely fashion such as catering for large events.

In all cases, the robots that are used in food preparation are supervised by humans.

For now, and for some time to come, human staff members and service robots will need to collaborate. Service robots can do the mechanical and analytical work while human staff members deal with emotional tasks. For example, during the check-in process, a service robot can deliver luggage to the correct room, while the human staff member provides the guest with a warm welcome.

It suggests that robotics will unquestionably replace repetitive and mundane jobs in hospitality including roles such as housekeepers, porters, porters, concierges, security guards, line cooks, room service and even bartenders and waiters, etc. There are cocktail making robots in use right now that can mix a great cocktail (to the human recipe) and reduce spillage. The Tipsy Robot by Makr Shakr can make more than 120 drinks an hour and save 25% of the drink spillage.

Some hotels are even looking at how to use robots to do tasks such as interior decorating where the robot can paint day and all night a doing a relatively simple repetitive task that gets completed in half the time.

But AI also means that there is an enormous amount of data being collected which can be analysed and reacted to in real-time and it can be used to log and predict guest behaviour. This means that guest services can react instantly to changing needs and demands and can be improved based on real-time customer feedback and behaviour.

This will require people with new skills as well as the existing skilled teams. Hotels will continue to require staff with great people skills, warm customer service, fast creative decision making, an ability to handle customer and operational issues, revenue managers, IT managers, CRM and marketing experts but they will also need new jobs roles such as digital transformation strategists, automation specialists, robotisation technologists, data analysts, robot trainers and maintenance specialists. It all demonstrates that hotels are fast becoming a technology business.

But, as a wise man once said, “Robots do not replace people, rather, they are the tools used by people’.

HOTELSCOTLAND • 11

INTERVIEW

MIKE BAXTER of House of Gods speaks to SUSAN YOUNG.

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’m not sure what I expected when I headed to the House of Gods Hotel in Edinburgh to meet co-founder, Mike Baxter, but needless to say, I came away feeling charmed, not just by the hotel, but by the man behind it.

The moment I walked into the cosy reception area, with a gas fire blazing, and a helpful receptionist who was checking out a customer from a laptop on her lap, I felt I had walked into a sensory boudoir. Despite it being a morning meeting, the House of Gods feels like a night-time haunt.

It is a 22-roomed hotel, with a small cocktail bar on the ground floor, and next door there is the recently opened Casablanca Cocktail Club, which is self-described as “Edinburgh’s most opulent cocktail lounge.’

Now the plan is to roll out the House of Gods concept around the world. The next hotel to open will be in Glasgow, followed by Manchester. In fact, Mike believes that there could be many more.

The ethos which Mike Baxter and brother Ross have instilled into their hotel is one of decadence, and Mike is unapologetic. He tells me, “If I want to stay in a hotel I want to escape my life and my own four walls and I think other people feel the same way.

I literally want to fall down a rabbit hole.

So with House of Gods, we have created something more experiential and exciting for our guests.

“We borrowed from the real romance of luxury hotels but we were also influenced by the rock and roll stories of people like Liam Gallagher. We wanted to create a hotel with the romance of the Orient Express and the opulence and charm of Versailles and the hedonism of Studio 54. We looked at hotels like the Savoy, the Dorchester, the Waldorf Astoria and The Balmoral – all these hotels have incredible heritage and offer a real hotel 12 • HOTELSCOTLAND

A ROCK N’ROLL HOTELIER experience, but they can be prohibitively expensive for many people. We kind of borrowed bits and pieces and put our own twist on it. We may have room butlers and oak panelling for the romance of it, but we added neon, cocktails and fun... and I believe we have created a modern, contemporary hotel.”

The hotel is already award-winning, having picked up an accolade for Sunday Times Hotel of the Year Scotland in 2020, but says Mike, “I’m sure if they had had an award for “decadently sexy” we would win that every year.”

The passion that Mike has for his hotel is very evident, but surprisingly, he and his brother Ross, do not come from a hotel background. Before opening the hotel Mike was in property development, and Ross was an offshore engineer in the oil industry.

Mike was always ambitious. He explains, “At school, I looked old for my age and I would rent a nightclub and sell tickets to nights there.” When he went to Aberdeen University he continued promoting nights and

became one of Aberdeen’s key promoters running the hugely popular Wednesday nights at First Leisure’s Amadeus. This led to him opening his own bar, Eskobar, in 1997, when he was only 22.

Says Mike, “We lived the life. They were halcyon days and we had a lot of fun. I maybe was a bit too young because I was going out and enjoying myself, and just happened to own the bar.” But by the time he had hit his mid-twenties, he was using his money more wisely and investing in property development.

‘It was the brothers’ desire to invest in property that led them to open The Baxter hostel in Edinburgh’s West Register Street, which, on the day it opened, had 100% occupancy and subsequently, in 2016, a hotel in London called Kip. Explains Mike, “It is much more of a utility hipsters style hotel – which is not food and beverage led.

Then they had the idea of the House of Gods. The two saw an opportunity in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket in a building that had been left devastated by the 2002 Cowgate fire. Says Mike. “233 Cowgate was a shell of a

building. We could see its potential.”

They opened House of Gods in 2019, with Mike designing the interiors and Ross taking charge of the operational side of the business.

Says Mike, “It has been incredibly successful.

The difference between House of Gods and some other hotels is that it is a lifestyle brand.

Guests don’t come to us because they need an accommodation solution solved – they come to us because they want to live their best lives.”

And they certainly can do that at House of Gods. It is opulent and decadent and eclectic – from four-poster beds to glitter balls. It also boasts Gucci wallpaper and House of Hackney fabrics, and glorious quirky features, not least your bell to call the butler to deliver cocktails.

Mike tells me. “It’s a mash-up. I love Anouska Hempel who designed and created the Blake Hotel in London. I also love Maison Souquet in Paris. I like the old worldly luscious interiors. They borrow from stately homes and layer things on top of each other. I have borrowed from their style, and brought out

a more contemporary side and twisted it a wee bit.”

They also embrace technology. I do wonder why the hotel industry is not as advanced in some areas of tech as it could be. Why was a business-like Airbnb allowed to come in and steal business away from the experts?

In tech, a 17-year-old can hack a bit of code and change the world – there are no barriers to entry in computing. But there are no 17-year-olds re-imaging hotels! Perhaps one of the reasons is that the barrier to entry is so significant. It is expensive getting into the hotel industry. The bar industry on the other hand has developed really quickly and one of the reasons has to be because it has few barriers to entry - you can open a bar for £20K and bar operators have been innovative.

“We are a service-led business but technology helps. Human interaction is part of hospitality and I think if you create a relatively fun place to work, pay well, and create a nice environment to work in, people will stay. There is no way I can run our

hotels with robots. I don’t want to replace people’s jobs. We do use some of the most advanced property management systems available. We have more than 15 different pieces of software that streamline processes from marketing and e-commerce to account management. We are also quite lean – we have hacked our way through systemisation and artificial intelligence but you can’t take away the requirement for a human being.

There is always a place for it, even in a utility hotel “Because my brother and I have not come through a hotel background, and we had no hotel training, we have never been told how to do that or this, as a result, our approach is fairly disruptive, but what we are doing is actually quite easy – I just imagined all the things I like and put them into House of Gods.

“Generally, by the time people come up through the hotel industry, and get to their 40’s and 50’s, they don’t tend to shake things up. I’m not sure, for instance, whether anyone on the board for Travelodge would want to. The bigger hotel companies are usually HOTELSCOTLAND • 13

owned by big equity in other words – pension funds, with hugely deep pockets. But we are independents and we take a different approach – it does sometimes feel like a David and Goliath thing.”

Although the two did not have hotel experience they did bring on a very well known hotelier as Chairman of the company at the beginning. Explains Mike, “Our former Chairman was Robert Cooke,– now he is very busy as CEO of TGI Friday, and is no longer on the board. But he helped us at the beginning. He said he could see in us what it was like in the early days of Malmaison.

That was very complimentary. He compared me to Ken McCulloch – in that he could not come into a room and have dinner without giving direction. I am the same way, which is a nightmare for my staff. But I do believe someone has to guide the vision. Mike is keen to keep his hotels as independent and as individual as possible. He says, “Our hotels are smaller. We only have 30 keys typically and that allows us to have a personal relationship with our customers and team.

We can learn everyone’s name and we can treat them individually.”

House of Gods is also a bit of a social media star. In fact, most of its bookings come through word of mouth with a few coming via booking.com because of the effectiveness of its social media.

Mike explains, “Principally, people are finding us through social media and recommendations, and our customer base is generally UK-based. We don’t have a foreign travel market. It also helps that our social media product is very Instagrammable. Our customers only post on social media if they enjoy it and then they want to tell the world.

It’s not what we do on social media that is important – it is what other people do on social media that is.”

He continues, “House of Gods is very natural and we get to meet people at their absolute best. Nobody ever books here and says I am going to have a quiet night. People who come to us are excited and are on good form from the beginning of their stay to the end.

“If they want, we will deliver cocktails to their room – we would even have someone dressed like Axel Rose come to their door and the sound system plays music into the room when we deliver the cocktails which adds to the experience.

“I really enjoy the fact that we absolutely get to see people at their best – it’s a privilege to be custodians of people’s leisure time and we value that highly, especially when they are coming to House of Gods for a special moment. We have had 100’s of marriage 14 • HOTELSCOTLAND

proposals take place here and we have even had a baby conceived here that we know about.”

House of Gods has not been immune to the current recruitment crisis in hospitality, but he believes there is a credible solution.

He tells me, “I think one of the ways we can turn the recruitment issue in hospitality around is to pay people properly. We have an entry-level of £10 per hour. I believe if employees have the skills and are good they should be rewarded. Our issue is that people do not consider hospitality roles a vocation. It is up to us to persuade them it is – we have to show people that they can move up through the company and we do that. You can move into management here at four levels and we will move people to manage new premises as they come on-line.

We are doing the groundwork and we want people who are on the same path, who think hospitality is the future, and you get people to engage when they think it is exciting.”

Certainly, Mike and Ross have plans for House of Gods which are exciting. Glasgow is already underway and Manchester is next on the agenda, but Ibiza could figure too. “I love the fact that we did Edinburgh and now Glasgow first. This is very much a Scottish story – but we are also keen to get into London, and we would like to do Ibiza and Majorca. We are on an aggressive rollout.

There is definitely scope for 10/15 in the UK then the plan is to go overseas. The fun thing about places like Ibiza and Majorca is that a lot of people from Scotland would come to a House of Gods if we opened there. The hotels there would have an element of beach club-style – although we wouldn’t go all white!

We are not using a cookie-cutter approach to design, with each of our hotels having its own personality which reflects the personality of the city it is in. The more corporate hotel companies would find a nice building and put a brand in it but we wanted to create a hotel brand.

In Glasgow the new hotel, on Glassford Street, will be, says Mike, “a bit more rock and roll than Edinburgh.” It will feature a rooftop bar with a retractable roof and a secret cocktail bar. This hotel will have 33 rooms once the vision is realised.

Says Mike, “One of the magical things about House of Gods is that it is to customers whatever they want it to be. We have people from all different tribes – it is a real melting pot of culture.”

It is very obvious that Mike really enjoys what he does. “We couldn’t do what we do 24/7 if we didn’t. I do the service side and Ross keeps away from that – he is the rock of the business and we have a fantastic consistent relationship because we are so opposite. We are like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, we are the yin and the yang, but it works.”

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by ALASTAIR ROY, Aro Procurement

For guidance on how best to nurture your supplier relationships to combat cost volatility, contact alastair@ aroprocurement.

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NURTURING SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO COMBAT INFLATIONARY VOLATILITY

he doom and gloom naysayers are always around if you care to look hard enough but there is no escaping the current realities of inflation surges, supply chain increases and overall post-Covid and post Brexit disruption across all the supply categories.

The other perspective is that there are always challenges of one type or another and we are simply dealing with a different combination of the same theme right now.

Change and challenge are the inevitable and arguably exciting constants in business and life. Therefore, best to accept those factors and find ways of becoming more resilient.

Securing meaningful savings in the face of uncertain market conditions requires less focus on the traditional strategies, tactics and levers with a switch to nurturing supplier relationships in the spirit of collaboration.

The Procurement function can act as the conductor of the relationships between your business and the supplier base to ensure you are best placed to mitigate the cost pressures and help strengthen your own P&L whilst ensuring the suppliers are there to deliver the best value products and services in the future as well as the here and now.

With cost increases proliferating and corresponding savings less obviously available, it can be tempting to switch away from your longstanding supplier relationships to find pastures new to trade with. Although this strategy can yield results and is often the right move where complacency has set into your supply chain, during volatile times, sometimes the counterintuitive approach serves the business better.

Instead of solely focusing on the values of the cost analysis spreadsheet, perhaps now is a good time to look at the supplier relationship in a more holistic way. Consider the service and quality levels previously enjoyed and how you might be able to strike a new way of working with your suppliers to make their service provision more economical to deliver – not

necessarily only in the literal sense – and share the benefits in the form of cost savings to your business.

Break down the internal barriers in your own organisation and ensure there is a co-ordinated approach when dealing with suppliers – try to prevent stakeholders having side conversations with the same supplier, diluting efforts to offset the impact of price increases. Market uncertainty will persist for some time until suppliers and manufacturers regain their own positions. To handle short term cost pressures, consider the risks in your supply chain, minimise spending and push forward with a collaborative approach internally and externally.

Some key pointers to successful collaborations: - Identify your mission-critical partnership suppliers and where you have previously made good selections in this area, the strong supplier will want to collaborate and grow with you: - Look for win-wins on both sides and share the benefits - Reduce consumption and eliminate waste – look at operating minimums and ensure team members are fully conversant with organisational objectives to steer the business through these choppy waters - Always look for ways to value engineer and reduce costs all round - Focus on the long game and bring your suppliers on the journey – they will value your commitment to staying in business to help drive value to their business as well as your own If the only certainty is uncertainty, harness and nurture your supplier relationships to find ways of working collaboratively to take advantage of market conditions, or, at least minimise the adverse impact they may currently create.

MARCH 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 15

DESIGN FOCUS

BOWFIELD MAKES A SPLASH BOWFIELD HOTEL & COUNTRY CLUB, HOWWOOD

BY PENNY DEVLIN

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owfield Hotel & Country Club unveiled its state-of-the-art new swimming pool recently.

Leisure members, hotel and spa day guests at Bowfield Hotel & Country Club in Howwood, Renfrewshire, now have a luxury new indoor 16m swimming pool that has been exclusively designed to enhance the existing leisure club and AURA Spa. The transformation, which took three months, was the ‘final piece’ in a long refurbishment programme which has seen owners Manorview Group invest £4 million since they purchased the property in 2012.

The design, by Space ID, is a bold departure from the previous pool design and is inspired by luxurious Scandinavian spa locations. The exposed brickwork, tiles, pool furniture and accessories have been selected to create a serene and calming atmosphere with plants and greenery situated in key areas to further enhance the natural aesthetic of the new design.

The overall look is very much in keeping with

the venue’s Scottish countryside setting.

The highlight of the new pool area is a wowfactor mirrored LED ceiling which instantly creates a feeling of tranquillity.

The lighting can be adjusted to create different moods, and the colours can be changed. Another feature is the large doors which open to an outdoor decking area that will be perfect during Spring and Summer.

The sauna and steam room area has also recently been updated to continue the design aspects throughout and all elements have been carefully curated with an emphasis on the highest quality fixtures and fittings.

Commenting on the launch Peter Hyslop, General Manager at Bowfield said, “We are always looking at ways to continually enhance and improve our spaces to ensure client satisfaction and our latest refurbishment programme at Bowfield allows us to create a truly magnificent pool area to complement our already fantastic leisure and spa experience.“ HOTELSCOTLAND • 17

PEOPLE

18 • HOTELSCOTLAND

69 BRUNTSFIELD PLACE, EDINBURGH

BY PENNY DEVLIN

THE BRUNTSFIELD EDINBURGH

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he Bruntsfield in Edinburgh in Edinburgh has just received a complete refurbishment following its sale last year to Castleforge Partners and the appointment of a new management company Axiom Hospitality in September 2021.

The hotel has received a top to toe makeover which included rooms, bar and a restaurant.

The Brunstfield’s General Manager, Alistair Bruce comments, “Our boutique townhouse hotel was built in 1861 when the doctors who resided within the three adjacent Baronial double villas, including the well know botanist

and surgeon, William Craig - played a pivotal role in Edinburgh life. The Bruntsfield is rooted in this community spirit, and we continue that tradition today, welcoming and guiding new friends and visitors to all the treasures Edinburgh has to offer.”

In fact, the refurbishment of the 72-bedroom hotel was inspired by its Bruntsfield neighbourhood and townhouse heritage, with bright and welcoming new guest rooms with many personal touches.

The new bar and restaurant, ‘The Neighbourhood l Kitchen – Bar – Garden’ offers guests the chance to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere reminiscent of an elegant home.

HOTELSCOTLAND • 19

WHAT IS YOUR WELLNESS STRATEGY?

SONAL UBEROI, author of THE WELLNESS ASSET, explores the challenges that must be faced if you want to develop a successful wellness strategy for your hotel.

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ith all the issues hospitality has faced over the last couple of years it is time to take stock. It is clear that people have become much more health-conscious and that we recognise the importance of looking after ourselves, both mentally and physically. Consumers want wellness and businesses across many industries are embracing the idea of wellness as they reshape their processes, philosophies and products for the evolved market. Hotels need to do the same.

To put this in financial perspective data from the Global Wellness Institute is clear: In 2018, wellness expenditures were more than half of all health expenditures, coming in at $4.3 trillion. Of the ten markets analysed, between 2015-2017, revenue growth leaders were the spa industry (9.8%), wellness tourism (6.5%) and wellness real estate (6.4%).

Let’s look at what is required to face up to the difficult issues in wellness and how you can move through these and provide the wellness focus your guests are looking for.

WELLNESS CANNOT BE SEGREGATED To help explain this, consider that we often see ‘wellness’ and ‘wellbeing’ mistakenly being used interchangeably. However, there is a subtle yet important difference we must get right.

A simple way to view it is as follows: wellness is the tool and wellbeing the goal.

So, wellness provides us with the tools that allow us to access different types of wellbeing goals, e.g. physical, mental, emotional, spiritual.

These tools include therapies, alternative medicine, fitness activities, meditation and mindfulness, a balanced diet and a gamut of other services designed to enhance our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

This means that wellness is no longer confined to a specific activity or a physical

space such as a spa, a studio or a gym. The definition of wellness is broad and involves anything that enhances overall wellbeing.

So, quite simply, when we incorporate wellness into our lifestyle, or into our product ecosystem as businesses providing wellness services, we provide the stepping-stones towards better wellbeing!

RECOGNISE IF YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MISCONCEPTIONS Perhaps you, like many, had overlooked wellness and can now see the value – or should I say necessity – of incorporating it into your hotel’s offering. Or maybe, like many businesses I have worked with, your wellness offering hasn’t performed as well as you’d hoped; you may have taken a wrong turn in your thinking, planning or implementation, perhaps due to lack of experience or challenging circumstances.

Or maybe you are at a point where you have considered what you really know about wellness and realised you have been working with certain misconceptions. These have hindered your success and put you at a crossroads with your wellness ideas.

WORK DOWN – THE WELLNESS OF YOUR TEAM Today, many employees have the option to work where they want and how they want, to create a sense of work-life balance. This is not the case for the hospitality industry, where staff face gruelling and antisocial hours that aren’t conducive to wellbeing. Companies worldwide have been forced to integrate the wellbeing of their staff into their employment packages and working conditions to retain their talent.

As soon as you accept that you can’t solve your guests’ wellbeing problems with a team that is ‘unwell’ itself, you can start to explore

options to make your people’s working hours more friendly and conducive to a balanced lifestyle. This needs to work for employees across different generations and different life situations.

YOU CAN’T IGNORE YOUR GUESTS As professionals of the industry, we waste too much time and energy worrying about how to define wellness and how we label our offering and features. We fret over what treatmentand services constitute wellness, when all along our guests really don’t care.

They just want their wellbeing problems solved, irrespective of how we choose to define things.

They won’t stop having a massage because one day, as an industry, we decide it is no longer ‘wellness’. As soon as you accept that your guests aren’t bothered how you define wellness, you can start to focus on what really matters: the guest. Listen to your guests as they will tell you what they want.

ACCEPT THAT WELLNESS IS A MOVING FEAST Wellness, as we know it, is a relatively new and rapidly growing industry. What was relevant a few years ago might not be important in three or four years’ time. This became even more evident in the pandemic; overnight, people began consuming wellness services in a very different way.

As soon as you accept that some of your products and services will no longer be relevant to your guests and that you will need to innovate constantly (these can be small tweaks), you won’t feel disheartened when some of your offerings become irrelevant. Instead, you’ll keep a strategic eye on how to improve your offering while keeping your guests’ needs front and centre.

WELLNESS

WELLNESS CANNOT BE TREATED AS A COMMODITY Particularly as we come out of the pandemic looking for additional revenue, it is easy to fall into the trap of searching for quick fixes. However, wellness cannot be put into this category, it is not a commodity. Putting wellness at the heart of your offering means growing it over time. It takes commitment, steady work and an outlook focused on the long-term both for growth and profits.

Given this, it will come as no surprise to learn that there is no magic wand you can wave to create and implement the perfect wellness strategy instantly. Making the decision to adopt wellness is the first step on a journey. You will need to develop your knowledge of the wellness business, take on the task and meet the challenges of developing the concept that will work for your hotel, all at the same time as running your core business, managing costs and motivating your staff.

CHASING THE LATEST TRENDS WON’T WORK There are always new ideas, products and services popping up in the wellness industry.

It is tempting to rush to adopt the latest trend, perhaps from fear of losing out to a competitor or missing a trick that will bring in some new customers while the fad lasts.

But no single new trend will create a wellness ecosystem for your business. You need all the elements of your wellness offering to work in harmony. Yes, this includes treatments and facilities but it is also about your individual members of staff, your services and your partners. All must fit together and work together seamlessly. Jumping on the latest trends is more likely to create disjunction and

disharmony.

And remember that Wellness is a rapidly growing industry so you will need to be ready to review your strategy and innovate constantly to keep up with what your guests are looking for.

DON’T EXPECT SPECIALIST STAFF TO DO EVERYTHING Wellness, like medicine, is a diverse field with a broad range of specialities. Just as we don’t expect a general practitioner to be a specialist in every aspect of medicine, we can’t expect a personal trainer to know about beauty, or an energy healer to know about high-intensity interval training programmes.

You don’t expect your sushi chef to jump in and cook dishes in your Indian restaurant, so don’t expect your physiotherapist to jump in and perform pedicures.

The field of wellness has many different specialities and you need to use the expert practitioners in the roles they have been trained for. If you ask your massage specialist to be able to help a guest with an unrelated beauty treatment you are asking for trouble – the guests will soon notice the lack of expertise and the reduction in quality of advice etc.

DON’T FALL FOR VANITY METRICS Wellness done well will increase the value of your hotel and attract investors. It generates direct revenue through products and services, as well as indirect revenue through higher occupancy, average room rate, average spend and length of stay – the tangible aspects of your business. When done right, it also builds a stellar reputation for your hotel and fosters brand loyalty and trust with all stakeholders – the intangible aspects of

your business.

As soon as you accept the tangible and intangible value of your wellness offering, you stop looking at the vanity metrics that may make you look good in the short term, but fail to identify what really matters for you future. Instead, you can focus on building your wellness asset and consolidating your asset ecosystem to increase its value and that of the entire hotel.

Facing up to the tough issues and making wellness your focus, has to start with you as the business owner or leader. Once you have truly accepted that a wellness strategy is not just right for your business, but is something you can personally commit to, then you can work on creating the best offering and supporting your staff, so that your business will have a positive future. .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sonal Uberoi is a global wellness expert and founder of Spa Balance, a boutique consultancy working specifically with hotels to help them tap into the full potential of their wellness offering. Sonal has worked with major hotels across the world enabling them to attract a more discerning guest, build a loyal and committed customer base, attract and retain quality talent and increase profitability, without breaking budget. Sonal is author of ‘The Wellness Asset’, a practical book, full of essential information for any hotel owner.

Web: www.spa-balance.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ sonaluberoi/

HOTELSCOTLAND • 21

PEOPLE

Baber joins Cycas Hospitality Manny Baber has been appointed general manager of the Hotel Indigo Dundee & Staybridge Suites.

Mr Baber joins from Sleeperz Dundee, and his past experience also includes 12 years at senior operational level with Hilton Hotels & Resorts Mr Baber said, “I’m incredibly pleased to work with this passionate team to identify opportunities for commercial success. Events including the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews next year give us an opportunity to put these hotels and our Daisy Tasker restaurant on the map as the venues of choice for leisure and the business markets alike.”

Bill Burnett, VP Operations – North UK at Cycas Hospitality, said, “As Dundee continues to demonstrate its credentials as a city embracing progression, fresh ideas and transformational change, businesses in the area must support and reflect that ideology.”

FRASER TAKES THE HELM AT GLASGOW GROSVENOR Gordon Fraser has taken over as General Manager of the Glasgow Grosvenor Hotel on Great Western Road. The hotel, which has been rebranded since the site was acquired by MastcraftGroup, has been operated by hospitality management company 7 Hospitality since the start of the year and they appointed Fraser to head up the team, which remains unchanged.

He joins from Macdonald Hotels and Resorts and before that he was General Manager of the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Aberdeen Airport but eight years of his career has been spent with Hilton Hotels, who previously owned The Grosvenor.

Pamela McLean has joined Glasgow Marriott Hotel as Hotel Sales Manager having spent the best part of 20 years working for Reach Scotland.

Jayne Buckley has joined Cawley Hotels as Assistant General Manager at Duck Bay. She joins from the YestoAll Hospitality Group.

22 • HOTELSCOTLAND

GROUP HR MANAGER FOR CRERAR HOTELS Claire Cuthbertson has joined Crerar Hotels in the new role of Group Human Resources Manager. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in management to the Scottish group and was formerly Regional HR Manager for Grand Central Hotel Glasgow, Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel Intercontinental Hotel, The George and Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel.

The Crerar Academy, which launched last year as part of a £1 million investment in staff recruitment, retention, and development, will also come under her remit.

Claire said, “I’m thrilled to have joined the Crerar Hotels team at such an exciting time for the company. The way the group looks after its employees is revolutionary for the hospitality industry, so to be the first person to take on the role of Group HR Manager and spearhead the offering is a privilege.

“The Crerar Academy offers ongoing opportunities to all team members, and I’m looking forward to driving the programme

forward. I’m also looking forward to working on our industry-leading Graduate Programme, which will see many candidates go on to work full-time within the business.

“The employee benefits which are already in place are impressive so I’m excited to build on this whilst also looking at recruitment, which is pivotal at a time like this.”

Chris Wayne-Wills, chief executive of Crerar Hotels, said, “Claire brings an unrivalled wealth of experience and knowledge to further strengthen our human resources team.

“We have continued to invest not only in our hotels and inns, but also in our people despite the challenges we faced in recent years. Claire’s new role will further bolster our employee benefits programme, drive training and development opportunities through the Crerar Academy, support the Fair Fund and hopefully help us recruit new faces to join our growing teams.”

NEW ROLE FOR MCGREGOR AS HE JOINS RBH Don Mcgregor has joined RBH as Cluster General Manager. He took up the role in December have spent the previous three years as Regional Operations Director with 7 Hospitality Management.

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India’s first craft gin brand, Greater Than London Dry Gin, has been launched in the UK by Nao Spirits. Founded by Anand Virmani and Vaibhav Singh, Greater Than gin is distilled in copper pots in Goa and infused with pure botanicals sourced from India and around the world.

The story of Greater Than (or ‘>’) gin began in 2015, when two young bar owners and entrepreneurs – Anand Virmani and Vaibhav Singh – noticed that while the world was going through a ‘Gin-aissance’, India was left high and dry. The country where the G&T was invented and where exotic gin botanicals are found in most home kitchens was still in the dark ages of gin. If they wanted gin, they were going to have to make it themselves.

They stepped out from behind the bar, got themselves a copper pot and experimented with every spice, herb and fruit they could find. With a little bit of luck and a lot of help and effort, they found a recipe they loved enough to not just want to serve at their own bar, but to take to the rest of the country and the world.

The pair travelled to Goa for a threeyear masterclass in gin-making, before recruiting Anne Brock, a board member of the Gin Guild, to work with them in setting up and refining their own distillation process.

Fentimans, the botanical drinks maker, has launched a new light soft drinks range to meet the needs of a growing audience seeking reduced calories in premium soft drinks. The ‘light’ range includes a lower calorie version of their iconic Rose Lemonade, plus Gently Sparkling Elderflower and Sparkling Raspberry.

A recent Fentimans Market report indicates that two thirds (65%) of British consumers are now proactively trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. The new recipe for the Fentimans ‘light’ soft drink range contains no artificial sweeteners. Each drink contains less than 60 calories per bottle, whilst sugar has been reduced to 4.8g per 100ml.

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Feragaia is the name of Scotland’s first premium alcohol-free spirit.

It has been distilled, blended and bottled in the far reaches of the Scottish Lowlands.

Amber in colour, Feragaia’s suggested serve is on the rocks or topped with a light tonic.

Feragaia’s process combines distillation techniques and brings together 14 responsibly sourced botanicals from both land and sea. The delicate flavours of flowers and leaves combine with the earthier notes of root botanicals and spices.

Most alcohol-free spirits rely on alcohol to carry flavour in the process, which is then stripped out along with the natural flavours of the botanicals not Feragaia.

It never touches alcohol and therefore retains all the natural flavours and qualities of its ingredients – a true alternative.

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The Isle of Raasay Distillery has launched its first Hebridean gin.

The Isle of Raasay Gin is the first legal spirit from Raasay and its inaugural Isle of Raasay Single Malt whisky is set for release next year.

The Isle of Raasay Gin, which is crafted in the Hebrides, is distilled in a Frilli copper pot still using an expert blend of ten botanicals and water from the well. The result, say the company, is “a complex but well balanced, zesty dry gin”.

Isle of Raasay Distillery Co-founder Alasdair Day comments, “Our new Isle of Raasay Gin puts“The island quality firstat – combining team Click2Convert take the time to fully understand our carefully chosen botanicals with water from our well and triple business needs have developed a marketing strategy which ticks distilled Raasay spirit. Raasay’s remarkable geology and ourand modern island distillery inspired both the creation and was established with all the boxes. We’re delighted with the year-on-year results!” support from local botanist Dr Stephen Bungard.”

Check out our client testimonials at: www.Click2Convert.com/case-studies

Allan Reich, Resort Director, Cameron Lodges HOTELSCOTLAND • 23

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CHECKOUT The news that the Taylor family had sold their Chardon hotel group came as a surprise and I know that all of you who know the family will wish them all the very best going forward.

They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and this is certainly the case with Nicola and father Maurice... he built the company up, and is one of the best known figures int he industry. When Nicola joined 18 years ago she helped him continue the journey and established herself as a ‘tour de force’ in the industry. Throughout the last two years she has not only navigated the company through the pandemic but also managed to orchestrate the sale and in the meantime got married. All life changing events. I look forward to catching up with her over a glass or two and hearing all about it.

What do a golf buggy and a life-sized Yoda have in common?

Travelodge has just published its Lost & Found audit and this year Scotland Travelodge’s offices revealed missing items included a golf buggy, a life-sized Yoda, a necklace made of £50 notes, a 5ft wedding cake piñata and a British shorthair blue kitten called Rocky.

The kitten was left behind at Dumfries Travelodge when the kitten’s owner drove from Newcastle to pick Rocky from a specialist breeder and broke up the journey by staying over at Dumfries Travelodge. On departure morning, Rocky’s owner thought her sister had put him into her kitty car seat and they only realised when they were 50 miles into their journey back to Newcastle. They were all reunited.

In fact staff managed to reunite most of the missing items with their owners including a bride who forgot her wedding dress. She left it at Fort William Travelodge, the hotel manager had to go on a special mission to reunite a bride with her tartan wedding dress that she forgot to take to her wedding!

Plus, a professional golfer forgetting his golf buggy at Elgin Travelodge, a leading topiary artist forgetting his prized 5ft family tree piece of artwork which was due to be exhibited at Dundee Strathmore Avenue Travelodge. Plus a philatelist left his priceless collection of 55 year-old stamp collection at Aberdeen Bucksburn Travelodge.

It makes the more common items such as phone chargers pale into insignificance.

As many of you know our sister magazine is the DRAM which also does carry hotel news, but it primarily focusses on pubs, bars and restaurants. The distinction between the two distinct areas of hospitality maybe blurred, but I have found over the past four years, that there is definitely a real distinction about their approach to certain issues.. None more so than their response to the recruitment issue. Mark

26 • HOTELSCOTLAND

McCulloch is endeavoring to raise £1 - £5m to fund a Hospitality Rising advertising campaign to persuade more people to consider hospitality as a career. It has received the backing of UKHospitality it is well on its way to raising the first million.

Meanwhile hoteliers are also examining the recruitment issue - and looking at what difference Robots could make to the departments which are feeling the recruitment issue most acutely namely housekeeping.

It is all fascinating. It is evident that the worst thing we can all do is ignore the issue and hope that commonsense will prevail at Government level and hospitality visas will be issued. These recruitment issues were there before Brexit and before the pandemic. They have just been amplified. A long-term strategy is what is required, but we need to start somewhere and that’s exactly what forward thinking hoteliers and hospitality operators are doing. This is not a Scottish problem or even a UK one this is a global issue, and it is not going away anytime soon.

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HOTELSCOTLAND – the only print publication dedicated to Scotland’s hotel industry and online too at hotelscotland-online.co.uk HOTEL SCOTLAND ADVERTISING AND MARKETING ENQUIRIES: TEL: 007740 667371 CONTACT: NIKKI OJI nikki@mediaworldltd.com