Hotel scotland Issue 9

HOTELSCOTLAND 09 – APRIL 2018 ISSN 2515-8287

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NICOLA TAYLOR FROM BABE IN ARMS TO BOSS

CONTENTS

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NEWS

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SCOTTISH TOURISM ALLIANCE CONFERENCE

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WELCOME

t’s hard to believe it is already May and the season is just starting to warm.

The latest statistics regarding visitor numbers certainly look encouraging and hopefully the numbers will keep on growing this year. This month I have an interview with the very dynamic Nicola Taylor, who has literally been in the hotel industry since she was a baby. Find out what she has to say on page 18. We also have a feature on the Scottish Tourism Alliance Conference which I found very interesting.

There is plenty going on when it comes to refurbishments and new developments. I took a trip to Dundee to see the Invercarse Hotel which has just benefitted from a £1.7 million investment. It looks great and I also popped in to see the new Radisson Red in Glasgow - more on that next month.

There is also plenty of news as you will see from our news pages. We always welcome feedback so if there is anything that you would like us to cover, let me know.

Susan Young Editor

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@hotel_scotland hotelmagazinescotland.co.uk

NICOLA TAYLOR

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KM CENTRAL HOTEL

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INVERCARSE HOTEL

29 WHAT’S NEW

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30 PEOPLE 34 CHECK OUT

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susan@mediaworldltd.com

18 INTERVIEW:

HOTELSCOTLAND Published by Media World limited t: 0141 221 6965 e: news@mediaworldltd.com w: hotelmagazinescotland.co.uk

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Editor: Susan Young Editorial: Jocelyn O’Keefe Advertising: Sylvia Forsyth Production: Lorraine Gourlay Admin: Cheryl Cook

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Subscriptions: HOTEL SCOTLAND is available by subscription at the rate of £52 per annum. The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. © Media World Limited 2018. Printed by Stephens & George Print Group.

MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 3

BRIEFS The Machrie Hotel and Golf Links on the Isle of Islay is getting set to open. The hotel, owned by Campbell GRAY Hotels, has been totally renovated and is set to launch this summer but golfers have already been able to enjoy the golf course after it re-opened last May. MV Fingal, is set to open shortly, at Leith.

The floating ‘boatique’ hotel will have 23 luxury balconied cabins and duplex cabins when it opens, and it will also boast a Presidential Suite which runs the full length of the vessel. The former lighthouse steam tender, owned by the same company as the Royal Yacht Britannia, Royal Yacht Enterprises, will be styled with Art-Deco inspired features and is offering luxury befitting a royal!

Ogilvie Construction has just started work on an £18 million, 4 star boutique hotel, in Edinburgh’s West End. The hotel which will have 150 bedrooms is 8-stories high and is being built for for Axcel Hospitality at Torphichen Street. It will also include a restaurant, bar and leisure facilities. .

Fife Arms Hotel buries a time capsule Management at the multi-million pound refurbishment of the Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar, which ought to be finished later this year, recently allowed local school pupils access to bury a time capsule within the building. The gesture came after construction workers found various items including a bottle of Glenfinnan whisky, signed, dated and planted under the floorboards by workers.

They also found small tubs of anti-burn cream distributed to soldiers during the Second World War in the event of a gas attack. These items were among some shown to the children, who went on to bury their own time capsule.

Progress at the hotel has been steady since being bought by Swiss art dealers, Iwan and Manuela Wirth under their Highlands Hospitality Ltd (HHL) banner. Their plans include re-establishing The Fife Arms as a first class hotel offering exceptional and unique accommodation. It is expected to have 45 rooms, a restaurant, a private dining room and a heather-roof courtyard.

4 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

The first new-build Radisson RED in the UK has opened in Glasgow. The 174-room hotel, next to the Hydro, is also the first new-build Radisson RED to open in Europe. Designed by Glasgow company Graven Images the new hotel is firmly aimed at millennials. It’s is owned by Forrest Hotels and operated by Radisson. The hotel’s Sky Bar, Glasgow’s first rooftop bar, will open in early May. More next month.

Beds galore at Meininger Hotel A 590-bed hotel by German-based Meininger Hotels is set to open in Glasgow in 2020. The group says the new hotel will bring together “the best elements of hostel and hotel” by offering a variety of room types. There will be 160-rooms, some classic doubles, others private multi-bedrooms and a dorm style room with single beds. The new hotel, which is being designed by NORR, is backed by asset company LGIM Real Assets (Legal & General), and will

be built from scratch in a new building on West George Street opposite Queen Street train station.

The building which will have five floors will have its public areas, reception, lobby, bar and lounge on the first floor and it will also offer a game zone and guest kitchen. It’s expected that that the lower floors, including a basement and mezzanine, will create retail space. It will be the second hotel for the group in the UK

MALMAISON SIGNS FOR BUCHAN HOUSE Malmaison Hotel du Vin Group has signed a development agreement with S Harrison Developments to transform the Edinburgh’s Grade A listed Buchan House. Renovation work on the historic St. Andrew Square venue include the restoration of the building’s period features. The new hotel will offer say the hotel “72 luxurious bedrooms and iconic suites”. It will also have a Chez Mal Bar and Brasserie.

The new hotel will complement the Malmaison Edinburgh Leith – the first ever Malmaison to open, in 1994. Guus Bakker, Chief Executive Officer, Malmaison Hotel du Vin, said, “Edinburgh is a much loved global destination for tourists and businesses alike, and Malmaison is a great fit for the City and its visitors. We are delighted to be complementing our very first hotel, in Leith, with a great venue for visitors to the city centre. Where better to demonstrate our commitment to Scotland than with the opening of Malmaison in the famous St Andrews Square?”

NEWS

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE £20M PLAN The latest hotel project to get planning from Dundee City Council is one from Structured House Group (SHG) which will see a former furniture warehouse on Barrack Street, demolished and two separate hotels created along with a new licensed restaurant.The Glasgow-based developer had to agree to retain the buildings art deco facade, which will now see the warehouse transformed into a 115-room, three-star hotel and a substantial ground floor restaurant. A new-built, 110-room, four-star hotel will also be located in Willison Street. Meanwhile steelwork for the new Marriott, directly across from the V&A, has gone up, much to the dismay of locals. It is thought the structure will block the view of the new V&A.

Patternmaker Hotel looks for go-ahead

A £3.5m luxury hotel could be built in Paisley within the next few years if plans put forward by architect and hotelier Tom Stewart, are approved by Renfrewshire Council.

EXPANSION AT TEN HILL PLACE Head Chef Alan Dickson – who is in charge of the kitchen at Ten Hill Place Hotel – has been handed his dream task – to design his own purpose-built kitchen from scratch as part of a multi million expansion of the hotel. Alan comments, “Many chefs wait a lifetime for an opportunity of a blank canvas and a budget like this, to design their perfect kitchen. It is not your typical kitchen either – we can go from cooking for hundreds of people during the major conferences – right down to a quiet lunch menu at the restaurant.”

The new kitchen facilities will help cater for the increased number of guests expected as the number of rooms in the hotel increases from 77 to 129 rooms.

Surgeons Quarter, the recently rebranded commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), operates Ten Hill Place Hotel, Drinks & Dining, as well as all conferences and weddings at the college, with

profits going back into the institution. It has around 75,000 customers every year.

Scott Mitchell, Commercial Director with Surgeons Quarter, said, “Alan deserves all the plaudits he gets – and it is testament to how he is rated here that he’s been given free-reign to design this kitchen.

“I don’t doubt that when the kitchen is complete, it will provide him and his team with the perfect base to provide the best quality hotel restaurant and conference food in the country.”

Alan has decided that the kitchen will be entirely electric – still unusual in a professional kitchen – and include induction hobs that are completely cold to touch but can boil 20 litres of water in just 90 seconds.A £20,000 self-cleaning cooking “suite” by Rational, is also being installed.

It is due to be completed this summer.

IF YOU HAVE ANY NEWS FOR US AT HOTEL SCOTLAND EMAIL: NEWS@ MEDIAWORLDLTD.COM

The new boutique hotel which would be called Patternmaker, a nod to Paisley’s past history as a textile hub, will have 40 rooms, a bar, brasserie and conferencing facilities. The hotel would be part of the redevelopment of the listed Kelvin House and Forbes Place, located across from Paisley Abbey. Kelvin House has an Art Deco front, and was built in 1939, while Forbes Place dates from 1830 and was once used for pattern making.

Mr Stewart also owns the Ashtree House Hotel near Paisley Museum.

The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel in Edinburgh, has unveiled a complete redesign of the Scone & Crombie Suite. The suite, mamed after the Scone Palace in Perthshire, has cornices, grand fireplaces and floor-toceiling windows framing views of Edinburgh’s Old Town. Polizzi designed the suite with a nod to both the city’s royal connections and the grandeur of the suite. One of the highlights of the suite is the custom-made tapestry style “Devonshire Swans” wallpaper, which adorns the walls of the entrance-dining room and has been printed for the first time on canvas paper by British fabric house Watts of Westminster to resemble a traditional tapestry. The suite showcases hues of blues and greens throughout, reminiscent of the Scottish countryside, coupled with stripes and florals to evoke a strong Scottish feel.

MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 5

ENTERKINE SOUNDPROOF PARTY MARQUEE South Ayrshire Licensing Board has removed a 11pm curfew on live music in the marquee at Enterkine House Hotel. This means that live bands can now play in its marquee until midnight. The move comes after the hotel spent £70,000 soundproofing the tent after complaints from neighbour Ewen Sutcliffe.

Last year the council applied the restriction which led, said hotel licensing lawyer, Brian Dunlop, to a decrease in bookings of 50%. Now following the latest report from Environmental Health inspectors who found ‘no evidence’ of noise at Sutcliffe’s home, councillors have

agreed to lift the 11pm curfew and delegate all future applications for occasional licences to council officers.

Brian Dunlop, told South Ayrshire’s latest Licensing Board meeting, “I didn’t think it would be possible to soundproof a tent – but they have.” A view shared by licensing board chair, councillor Craig Mackay. He said, “It is no mean feat to soundproof a marquee.” He continued, “...we see no reason to continue with the 11pm condition. Good management of functions will always remain key.”

JD WETHERSPOONS SEEK APPROVAL FOR £2.5M INVESTMENT IN STIRLING The Crossed Peels bar in Stirling’s Spittal Street could be turned into a hotel if pub owner JD Wetherspoon gets its plans approved. by the local Council. The company is planning on investing £2.5m in the building by creating 32 bedrooms on the upper floors as well as a roof garden.

They have put in an application to planners for a change of use of offices in the existing building to hotel accommodation – while keeping the pub on the ground floor.

LOVAT HOTEL RE-OPENS Perth’s Lovat Hotel has re-opened after closing in January. The hotel, owned by Alfredo Alongi, is now up and running with a new manager Leonard Johnstone on board. The owners have also taken the decision not to rename the hotel despite the negative publicity around former operator Stuart Shearer who left brides in the lurch when he closed the hotel and made staff redundant earlier in the year.

His company SLE Enterprises went into liquidation in February.

The good news is that many of the former staff have been re-employed and work is ongoing with regard to upgrading the hotel. In particular the function suite will become a new 150-seater family restaurant with a children’s’ playroom. The hotel also no longer operates under the Best Western banner.

6 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

Apex Waterloo Place joins Brewgooder to provide clean water to one million people Apex hotels has partnered with Brewgooder, the craft beer label that provides 100% of its profits to clean water projects around the world, to install the first beer tap of its kind in Edinburgh at Apex Waterloo Place .

The new beer tap, available at Elliot’s Bar and Restaurant within Apex Waterloo Place, will not only provide customers with a crisp and refreshing lager, but for each keg sold means that two people will be provided with clean water for a minimum of five years.

Alan Mahon, Brewgooder Founder, said: “Apex Hotels has been a big supporter of ours since we started. It was only right that they were the first hotel to get on board with the well head fount in Edinburgh. We look forward to helping provide many people with clean drinking water through this partnership.”

David Steele, Apex Waterloo Place deputy general manager, said, “We are always keen to work with local suppliers, and Brewgooder not only provides an excellent product, but supports such a good cause – it was an easy decision to become the first company in Edinburgh to provide the new well head fount. We can’t wait for guests and visitors alike to try the taste of Brewgooder and help make a difference to the lives of people around the world.”

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Moxy goes for planning in Inverness Architects Keppie Design have submitted detailed plans, on behalf of Vastint Hospitality, to Council planners to build a Moxy Hotel in the Inverness. If the plans get the go-ahead the 170-bedroom hotel would take over from the Kingsmills as the city’s largest hotel.

The hotel which would be situated on the former swimming pool site on Glebe Street, would offer a three star facility with six floors and a roof terrace. The plan includes a restaurant, bar and leisure facilities as well as 81 car parking spaces and 22 cycle spaces.

Architects Keppie Design who submitted a design statement on behalf of Vastint, says the proposal represents a “major redevelopment of an important river front site within the city centre.”

ROXBURGHE HOTEL & GPF COURSE

GERMAN FIRM 12:18 SET TO INVEST £30M IN ROXBURGHE HOTEL & GOLF COURSE 12.18. Investment Management GmbH is set to invest £30 million redeveloping Kelso’s historic Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course, which it bought recently from the Duke of Roxburghe.

The Dusseldorf-based developer and hotel operator aims to re-open it next year following a substantial refurbishment and redevelopment.

Jörg Lindner and Kai Richter, partners in the company, plan on adding a 57 bedroom annex with spa and state-of-the-art conference space as well as building 60 lodges on the estate.

These will go up for sale through a sale-andlease-back plan.

extension will provide a contrast with a more modern construction that still remains in harmony with the beautiful surroundings.

The 19th century property currently comprises 22 rooms, restaurant and bar; 12.18. aims to enhance this with extensive refurbishment and bring the hotel up to five-star status with 312 rooms situated within the hotel and lodges.

Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course will be the second property under 12.18.’s new brand ‘SCHLOSS Hotel’. The company also owns SCHLOSS Fleesensee in the heart of the Mecklenburg Lake District, 7Pines Ibiza and Biggesee Resort and Marenmoritz in Germany.

The Duke of Roxburghe commented, “The plans which the new owners have for major investment in the Roxburghe are very exciting indeed. We wish 12.18. every success with the new development and the operation in future, and I have no doubt that it will become one of the most outstanding resort destinations in Scotland.”

The original buildings refurbishment will see its Scottish elegance restored while the new

Jörg Lindner comments, “We expect that after the complete redevelopment of the celebrated Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course and the new available rooms on the ground, the number of staff being employed with us will be more than doubled (currently 50 people including hotel and golf course). Regional business, restaurants and shops will economically benefit from the touristic development in the region.”

The company has also revealed that it is interested in acquiring additional historic touristic properties within the UK to complement the portfolio and support the growth of the brand.

The hotel will be closed during the refurbishment, but the Golf Course and Clubhouse will continue to operate as normal.

Elgin’s Mansion House Hotel listed for sale Chartered surveyors DM Hall have been appointed to oversee the sale of the Mansion House Hotel in Elgin. The firm has listed the plush B-listed building, which is more than 130 years old, with a guide price of £975,000 in an attempt to find new owners.

The hotel, which is currently operating a reduced bed and breakfast service under temporary management appointed by Santander, could be fully open again before the summer season if a buyer can be found.

The annual turnover in recent years was in excess of £1million and the sale includes a three-bedroom gate lodge in the grounds.

The hotel has 23 bedrooms, although only 22 are currently in use, with a further three bedrooms in the grade C-listed lodge that stands at the entrance to the grounds.

A former Little Chef restaurant in Tomatin could become a new hotel, restaurant and retail development in Tomatin if Highland Council approve the £10m proposal put forward by the Tomatin Trading Company.

The plans include a 97 bedroom hotel, a 200-seater restaurant, a farm shop, pay at pump fuel station and a drive-through bakery.

Although most recently a Little Chef it has, in a former life, been the Freeburn Hotel which closed in the 1960s.

MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 7

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8 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

FEATURE

SCOTTISH TOURISM ALLIANCE CONFERENCE PROFESSOR GRAEME ROY, DIRECTOR OF THE FRASER OF ALLANDER INSTITUTE

Some of the highlights from the recent Conference... SUSAN YOUNG and JOCELYN O’KEEFE repor t.

T

he Scottish Tourism Alliance Conference took place in Glasgow late last month, having being postponed due to the snow. Timing was everything though the re-scheduled event coincided with the Scottish Government publishing, on behalf of ‘Tourism in Scotland,’ the facts and figures relating to the economic contribution of Scotland’s tourism sector. The publication ‘The Economic Contribution of the Sector’ gives an overview of tourism in Scotland in relation to visitors to Scotland, the make up of Scotland’s tourism sector and the contribution tourism makes to Scotland’s economy overall.

In a video address to the conference, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, “In the past year, tourism in Scotland reached new heights. Total

spend by domestic and overseas tourists in Scotland exceeded £5 billion. That remarkable success is testament to the hard work, expertise, and creativity of everybody working in our tourism industry.

“It’s also a result of the constructive partnership that exists between the industry and government. The Scottish Tourism Alliance plays an invaluable role in that partnership – as a voice for the industry, helping identify and raise awareness of the key issues facing the sector.”

She continued, “In response to your concerns we set a cap on business rates for all but the largest hospitality businesses and we are are continuing to increase investment in transport and digital infrastructure making Scotland more accessible and connected.”

Conference sessions focussed on areas such

as innovation, entrepreneurship, meeting the expectations of the future traveller and connecting with new audiences in an increasingly competitive digital marketing world.

Scotland’s food tourism opportunity was also explored and the latest insights and data on tourism trends and the economic forecast were shared by leading economists and analysts.

BREXIT One of the first speakers to take the stage was Professor Graeme Roy, Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute. He gave delegates his take on what lies ahead. He initially focussed on Brexit, saying, “It will cast a shadow over the economic outlook for the next few years.”

He said that “Tourism cannot expect to be immune. It is an important export market and MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 9

FEATURE relies on a large number of international visitors coming here.” He emphasised we need to be an open and welcoming country revealing that seven of Scotland top ten markets were within the European Union. And he talked about the challenges facing the industry, saying, “Scotlands working age population is expected to decline, in contrast to UK as a whole, and that will be a challenge for the economy, public services and tax revenues. EU migrants generally are younger … with 17,000 EU workers employed in the hotel and restaurant sector that is nearly 10% of the entire tourism economy workforce.”

POSITIVE NEWS However it wasn’t all doom and gloom. He revealed that this year global growth is projected to be the fastest since 2010 and in Europe confidence is at its highest since the Euro crisis five years ago. Despite the crisis the Scottish and European economy is expected to grow.

Visitor numbers are expected to hold up but the amount of money they have to spend is expected to be squeezed.This might put a pressure on overnight stays, particularly in shoulder season, maybe day trips on increase. Sterling will remain competitive for next few years.

THE NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY Professor Roy said that millennials were the biggest growth opportunity over the next decade. And he had a clear message for the industry saying, “Businesses have to be flexible”.

He also impressed upon the audience the necessity to invest in our digital infrastructure. Be nimble and flexible to the changing environment and position businesses to take advantage of new technology and give people the skills in order to use them. He went on to say that we must get better at understanding what works and stopping things that don’’t work.

BUSINESS CONCERNS He started off with the good news. Saying, despite media reports, people are still eating out although the frequency of eating out is flat.

It has been pretty steady over last five years. He said, “Eating out is what people do. But they are looking for something new. London does stand out but it is a different market. Scotland is flat but it is catching up with UK as a whole.

He revealed that there was anxiety in the market – Brexit caused the tumble in confidence with two-thirds of operators confident abut their own business, but not necessarily about the market.He revealed that two-thirds of operators say businesses have already been adversely affected by Brexit. With 60% of business owners saying people was one of their biggest issues – how retain and train.

The cost of running their business was also a major concern, although they had seen costs stablise a bit. But food costs, rentals, living wage, and so on, all were proving a challenge.

There was concern right across the board about the cost of doing business in food and drinking businesses. 54% of businesses always concerned about saturation.

ROOM FOR GROWTH He told the delegates, “The number of licensed premises in Britain is still falling – across the board the number of drinks-led pubs have

dropped – but overall restaurants have grown. If you look at Scotland similar fall in numbers but we are seeing eating and drinking falling more although eating still in growth. He believes there is still room for growth in Scotland. However he warned, “ We are seeing a massive churn in this market. Just because you have a bright idea doesn’’t mean to say it will work.”

In the UK there are now 5,000 more food led premises and 6,000 less drinks led. In fact today there are 3,000 more restaurants than community pubs in Britain. It is all about restaurants now – a massive swtich since 2012.

In Scotland 1,700 closures in drink-led outlets but a net increase of 600 – but not the growth of should be seen in Scottish market.

On the subject of craft beer he revealed that the craft beer market is now worth £1bn with Scotland accounting for 8% of the sales and Peter singled out Innis and Gunn, Portobello and Brewdog for special mention.

CRAFT BEER Craft beer is still a big growth area, as are low sugar drinks and non alcoholic beverages. He told the audience, “Everyone has got to learn about craft” Martin also revealed the results of consumer researchwhich revealed that customers want good experiences. Of the people surveyed 81% of people said that was the most important

VALUE FOR MONEY? He said, “We spend £2.5bn a year on supporting our economy but are we getting value for money? Why do we still have significant skills gaps? Are we joined up?

We may have the best marketing strategy in the world to attract people to Scotland but if infrastructure is not here or the wifi connectivity is slow it defeats the purpose.”

He concluded, “Yes, conditions are challenging and the outlook is uncertain but tremendous opportunities are there.Taking advantage of them will not be easy and the level of ambition may need to be raised, but if we do Scotland has much to gain.”

Next on the platform was Peter Martin, Vice President of CGA Peach who shared his latest insights and thinking into the out-of-home food and drink market, from the casual dining and restaurant sector.

10 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

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FEATURE

GORDON CAMPBELL GRAY

factor, service was 72%, value for money 70%, value for experience 69% food quality 63% They also wanted things like in-outlet tasting, activities like meet the brewer, live music, live in outlet events, in outlet popu up-kitchens, and in-outlet popu up bars.

Going forward he too mentioned technology.

Suggesting that customers want contactless payment, the ability to split bills, pay via phone and so on. He said there was a concern that people were not investing enough in technology.

SCOTLAND IS NOW The morning’s conference was brought to a close with input from VisitScotland’s marketing team Nikki, Rachel, Conor and Hannah who took delegates on a multi-media tour of the work VisitScotland are doing with partners and industry in 2018.

The took the delegates through the plans for the new national brand “Scotland is Now” and showed videos of what it looked like.

They also revealed that VisitScotland is launching a new hub for the Scottish tourism industry which will share research and insights.

THE FUTURE The afternoon portion of the STA conference took a dive into the future of hospitality. In a panel discussion entitled ‘How to Attract Develop and Retain our Future Talent’, Head Teacher of Craigroyston School, Stephen Ross, spoke of the changes he has made to the curriculum of his school with regard to vocational learning and employability for the large percentage of those who do not intend 12 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

on going to university.

He has set up a scheme, through links to Apex Hotels, that he calls a pre-apprenticeship. This means that sixth year pupils can, if they want to, spend two days a week as an apprentice at Apex. Stephen explains, “Young people make mistakes. At least this way their first year in the work place takes place while still a school pupil and they can be supported by the school.”

This is not the only example of Stephen’s changes, he has also set up chef training with real chefs and he has transformed the way hospitality is taught in his school. He told delegates that this was an excellent way of nurturing the skills of those with less academic ambition, allowing them to feel prepared to enter into the industry.

YOUTH AND TECHNOLOGY Former teacher, and now CEO of Digital Connextions, Kirsty Mitchell took a dive deep into her experience with youth and the technology she is developing to improve the recruitment process businesses use to benefit both the job seeker and the employer. She believes the ‘old school’ method of using CV’s doesn’t do a good job of understanding the candidate as a holistic person and she is working to develop ways of looking in depth at candidates values, behaviours and transferable skills.

The discussion was an inspiring insight into how the world of work and education should be more interlinked in order for the youth and the businesses to learn from each other in order to improve the standard of the next generation moving into the industry.

PROVIDING A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE Next to the platform was Gordon Campbell Gray, a pioneer in the world of luxury hotels, with a can-do attitude and cut-throat sense of humour. His introduction told a story of how he told his parents he wanted to run hotels, to which they replied ‘We are the type of people who stay in hotels, not the type that work in them.’ But thankfully he ignored them!

His subject was ‘The Future of our Industry is Still in our Hands’. He began with a presentation showcasing his state-of-the-art hotels across the world. They include: The Phoemicia in Malta; the Legray in Beirut and The Framington Hotel in Liberia. He told how he briefly attended hotel school but found it too boring. So instead he went to work in a kitchen where he was treated terribly. It was at this point he took a moment to emphasise the importance of providing young people with a positive experience when starting out in their careers and showcasing the best the industry has to offer rather than bashing them down and making them want to choose a new career. He put great emphasis on the fact he believes that he works in ‘the best industry in the world’, even describing it as a ‘sexy industry’. He made it clear that he thought it was up to hoteliers and those in the industry to fulfil the potential hospitality has to offer young people and the next generation of the industry. He made a point of emphasising how remarkable it is that you can enter into a career in hotels at the absolute lowest level and work your way up to a general manager position.

midsummer

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FEATURE KINDNESS AND RESPECT Gordon told the delegates how important it is to treat people with kindness and respect in all manners of life but particularly when interviewing and interacting with staff. He said that he valued working with ‘nice people’ over anything else, saying how if he sensed any sort of ego in the interviewing process, even if they were the best possible candidate on paper, he would not wish them to represent his business and would not hire them. He credits a lot of his success to this culture of generosity he has created among his staff which transfers onto his clients, placing great importance on the little things.

THE ETHOS He told a story of a very jet-lagged business man fresh off of a long-haul flight in the afternoon who came down to eat in the hotel restaurant. The man told his waiter he simply did not know what he felt like eating and his waiter asked the man if he would like some breakfast, despite the breakfast menu being off.

Gordon holds this example as a pinnacle of the ethos he wishes to be associated with all of his staff and hotels.

THE MACHRIE The Machrie in Islay, will be Gordon’s first hotel in Scotland. It will open this summer. He told delegates that after travelling the world and working in exotic places, opening a hotel in Scotland is a real homecoming for him. He believes there is nowhere like Scotland however he obviously is not impressed by Oban. It is the closest town to his house in Scotland. Let’s just say he was not complimentary... and although painting a bleak picture his humour took the edge off it. The point he was really trying to make is that while there are plenty of beautiful areas in Scotland with bustling industry, there are areas that have a long way to go and the Scottish hospitality industry needs to work hard to improve the overall standards associated with the trade.

TOMORROW TODAY The final speaker of the day was Graeme Codrington of ‘Tomorrow Today’, an expert in the future of work with regard to technology and uncontrollable forces impacting the world of business. He offered an eye-opening account of how the world is changing and how it will become sink or swim for businesses that do not educate themselves and adapt to the changing world. He offered insight into why the negative way which millennials are viewed by employers is counterproductive and why millenials ambition and their knowledge of the digital world that they were born into should be nurtured by businesses and used as a tool to change and evolve. He did this by showing a video of millennials reading headlines about 14 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

their generation, suggesting they were lazy and arrogant. They simply stated the success they had achieved with some already owning their own businesses. In this sense, Graeme questioned who was more arrogant, the young people who want to climb the ladder quickly or the elder colleagues and employers who thought they couldn’t and thought it arrogant they would even set such goals. He explained “A young person who says they want to be a general manager by the age of 26, some might say is arrogant. But I would say how ambitious of them.”

VIRTUAL REALITY He also discussed the rather terrifying concept of ‘Virtual Reality’ and the potential impact that could have on the hotel industry. He told the conference that in the near future they would not only be competing with other hotels, but with the fact people will not need to travel at

all as with the technology that already exists you can virtually travel and experience the world from your own home. He predicted the perils to come. For instance: robots to complete human tasks, virtual reality and political factors such as Brexit. He also talked about the technology companies should be utilising to maximise their productivity and stay relevant to younger workers, for example: the app software available for organising your staff and iPhone technology in general and Skype software that translates video calls in live time.

Delegates left with an overview of the challenges and opportunities faced by the industry and a good sense of the technology coming and how it could impact them and how they could use it to their best advantage.

IMAGES: SIMON WILLIAMS

COFFEE

FOCUS COFFEE SALES ARE BOOMING AND IT’S THE SAME STORY IN HOTELS. HERE WE SHOWCASE SOME GREAT BRANDS AND QUIPMENT SUPPLIERS.

01 JURA

02 MACHINA

Luxury Swiss coffee machine manufacturer, JURA, is renowned for a creating a premium coffee experience and its WE8 model is no exception to that rule – offering the perfect wake up for your guests and clients.

All it takes is the touch of a button and your customers can enjoy freshly ground coffee at any time of the day. Designed and engineered in Switzerland, this handcrafted machine offers a range of 12 specialities, intelligent technology and stunning design.

Machina is an Edinburgh based coffee roaster and equipment supplier.

To find out more information, please visit: uk.jura.com

If you want to upgrade your coffee offering, get in touch on 0131 656 9565.

Our focus is making access to speciality grade coffee both easy and enjoyable, with great service being pivotal to our offering.

We represent some of the best brand ​s​in the world, such as La Marzocco, Rocket, Mahlkonig, Ditting, BUNN and Victoria Arduino.

We have professional coffee trainers and technical knowledge in-house, giving each customer exceptional support and the attention they need. https://machina-coffee.co.uk

MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 15

At Ovenbird Coffee Roasters we have not been pulled into the world of bad coffee. Using direct trade, we source and produce high quality coffee; searching for outstanding complexities in flavour whilst focussing on ensuring quality of life for our producers. Above all, we are interested in the humans behind the coffee, and also the humans drinking it.

Now we offer the opportunity to brew our speciality coffee anywhere. No bulky brewers, no mess. Ovenbird Coffee pouches are simple to use; open pouch, pour over water, drink beautiful coffee. We are offering a unique interaction between human and coffee, giving ultimate brewing control; a distinct and exciting experience away from home.

Ovenbird Coffee Roasters Unit 3, 175 Woodville Street Glasgow G51 2RQ 0141 445 3200 www.ovenbird.co.uk coffee@ovenbird.co.uk

Conti Coffee Machine Distributors Espresso machine engineers covering most makes and models.

Boiler inspection service now available to comply with PSSR 2000 regulations.

Caffeine Fix Limited Unit 8, Crioch Business Park Crioch Place, Crieff PH7 3BW 0844 332 1202 service@caffeinefix.co.uk www.caffeinefix.uk.com

16 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

“We have used Caffine Fix to supply and install our coffee machines in all our Beer Kitchens as we like to have the flexibility to use independent local coffee roasters. We have found the service from Caffine Fix to be excellent and they work with us to make sure we get the right size and cost of coffee machine for the different sizes of unit we have.”

David Hall, Managing Director, Innis & Gunn Retail

FOCUS

03 MIKO COFFEE SCOTLAND

Miko Coffee Scotland, a division of the multi award winning Belgian coffee specialist Miko Coffee has launched ‘Hand Roasted in Scotland’, the first range of artisan speciality blends to be produced in house at the company’s new purpose built roastery in East Kilbride.

Hand Roasted in Scotland meets the demand for a premium coffee offer with local provenance, which has great appeal to discerning Scottish consumers.

“We use small drums and time honoured artisan methods to roast less than 10kg of beans at a time so we can really manage the flavour profile whilst offering customers the freshest coffee possible. Our coffees are the result of months of experimentation and meticulous attention to detail and we are delighted with the finished result.” www.handroastedinscotland.co.uk

MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 17

FROM HOTEL BABE TO HOSPITALITY QUEEN 18 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

INTERVIEW XXXXXXXX

SUSAN YOUNG talks to Nicola Taylor

N

icola Taylor was literally born into the hotel industry. She came straight from the Queen Mother’s hospital to a flat on the top of Glasgow’s Lorne Hotel, which her father Maurice Taylor was running at the time. So it is not really surprising that today she is at the helm of the family company. Her journey to the top included working for Hilton International, Richard Branson’s Virgin Hotels and the UK’s top newspaper and radio companies and she has brought that experience to the role she now has as Chief Executive of Chardon Trading.

Nicola believes that she absorbed a lot as a child. She explains, “When I was born my Dad (Maurice Taylor) was the General Manager of the Lorne Hotel which at the time was the biggest and newest hotel in Glasgow. In those days the GM of the hotel lived on site. It was a massive benefit because you had someone there 24/7. The hotel had opened in 1967 and didn’t even have en suite bathrooms. In fact, my dad tells a story of a GM conference when the Operations Manager actually stood up and said “private bathrooms would never take off ”. How wrong was he!”

She continues, “When my parents started on their own in 1973 they renovated an old townhouse in Edinburgh’s Albany Street and opened The Albany Hotel. It had only 10 bedrooms, the original boutique hotel! We lived in the basement, and my mum ran the hotel; servicing the rooms, making the breakfasts and taking reservations. I really don’t know how she did it with two small children! There is no doubt over the years we absorbed things about the hotel and restaurant industry just because that’s what was discussed at home and for years we lived in hotels.”

Maurice went on to lease a couple of hotels in the Trossachs before purchasing and relaunching the Beacons Hotel in Glasgow’s Park Circus area. This hotel had 40 bedrooms, five restaurants including La Bonne Auberge, which is still a Glasgow institution now based in West Nile Street. Says Nicola, “It went like a fair, it was a great business. But it was not the type of business anyone could run. Not sure I would’ve fancied it?. But it was a different time then, and customer’s choice and expectations were different. My parents then bought the Lorne in Sauchiehall Street in 1981 – and renamed it the Kelvin Park Lorne, and at the same time he bought The Garfield Hotel in Stepps. Then MAY 2018 JUNE 2017 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 19

the fun started and interest rates went to 18% plus the bank margin. He says they worked for two years to pay the Bank interest and capital.

And of course as children we realised what was going on. It was a difficult time and not one I’d like to repeat. My Mum then reminded him he could always sell one of the hotels to make life a bit easier. Sadly The Beacons, his baby, was the first to sell. By this time Nicola was a teenager and had decided that despite working in the hotels during her school holidays, evenings and weekends doing everything from servicing rooms to working in reception she wanted a career in beauty. Says Nicola, “So despite everything I had learned, I decided after I left school, to do a beauty therapy course and went down to College at Champneys in Tring.

It cost my dad a fortune, and then I realised it wasn’t for me. However, he insisted I finish the year at work otherwise I wouldn’t have got my CIDESCO international diploma. Even today I am qualified and insured to do beauty therapy, although I’m not sure anyone would want to let me loose on them?!”

Nicola’s next move was back into the hotel industry. She worked briefly for Queens Moat House before heading to London at the ripe old age of 19 to work for Hilton International in sales. Nicola tells me, “I loved it.” Then she was approached by Virgin, owned at that time, by a relatively young entrepreneur Richard Branson. Nicola explains, “Richard Branson at that time owned three hotels one being Norton House Hotel, in Edinburgh. He also owned the Kensington Roof Gardens, now Babylon, and two river boats on the Thames which were used for private functions – one was a Dutch barge, the other a Mississippi style riverboat. It was an amazing time. Richard had just started Virgin Airlines, I shared an office with Virgin Records, it was a great place to work (as you can imagine).

One of the things I remember most about Richard was that he has an amazing memory for people’s names, something I wish I could master.”

But a couple of years later her brother David, with whom she lived in London, decided he wanted to come back to Glasgow. My parents were developing Parklands Country Club on the South side of Glasgow and they wanted us to help launch the business. We came back up to Parklands which was built in 1989 and opened in 1990. I did the sales and marketing and stayed there until we sold it in 1993. I dabbled in publishing working for Mainstream in Edinburgh before I went back to London and this time went into media where I stayed for ten years working for the Glasgow Herald, Capital Radio and Mail on Sunday Newspapers. She says, “I loved the commercial side of newspapers. It was at a time when we had big expense budgets, and it was hard work but a lot of fun too.” In fact Nicola met her former husband at the 20 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

Mail on Sunday, which was one of the reasons they came back to Scotland. She says, “It really didn’t work with both of us working for the same industry and company. So he got a job in Glasgow and I came back a few months later in 2003 and re-joined the family company Chardon Management as a Director and shareholder.

It was a real culture shock. I went from a phenomenal office in Kensington with unlimited expenses, where no one ever once queried what I spent, to a family business where every penny counts and my Father certainly didn’t like to splash out on fancy offices.”

At the time Chardon Management operated just four hotels in Scotland, two owned by her parents. Says Nicola, “When I first came back we had a company called Chardon Management. It was a hotel management

“We don’t bank sales. we bank profit.” company. There are a lot more of them now, but at the time it was a new concept copied from USA. A hotel run under management is usually branded (not always thou’). We were operating Hiltons, Holiday Inns, Holiday Inn Expresses and a few independent hotels. One of the reasons that you split the management and the brand is that if you were a GM of a Hilton or Holiday Inn you would be unlikely to pick up the phone to your Sales or Marketing Director if you were not getting enough sales from the brand you are licensing. If you operate with independent management they should be in a position to push the global brands more.

People used to ask me why have you put a brand on your hotel?” The days of operating without a brand in a city centre is much harder if you aren’t a small boutique hotel. Your access to global corporates and programmes is much more limited.

So I ask Nicola; ‘what is different today than 20 years ago?’ It would have to be technology. Love it or loath it is has revolutionised how hoteliers price and sell themselves. Although I’m not sure how I feel about robots giving a warm Scottish welcome at reception or in the bar? We are an industry that employs a lot of people yet often we feel this is a disadvantage when costs are increasing constantly in payroll, pension contributions, paternity pay & most recently the Apprenticeship Levy. And as for Brexit and EU workers, I have no idea? Already we have seen our EU team members decrease by 25%, they are mainly in Edinburgh and Glasgow. I am encouraged millennials are looking for a life full of ‘experiences’ and are keen to travel around the world as a career in hospitality would be perfect. Skills learned whilst being

paid and transferable to any country in the world. UK people think it is low paid industry, but it is only low paid when you start and you don’t leave further education with student debt you are paid whilst you learn. If you are a head of Department or General Manager you can achieve a good salary, bonuses, cheap hotel rooms around the world and there is a lot of other benefits too.’ ’ Whilst we are hearing only this week how successful Scottish hotels are performing an increase of 5% in sales, I understand most of this growth to be in Edinburgh. Aberdeen is a disaster and until we sort out our infrastructure with roads, affordable staff accommodation, transport links I don’t know who is going to risk putting large hotels in more rural locations – these are badly needed to really grow tourism across the whole of Scotland. Hotel investors will need incentives to move away from the populated cities. Visitors should come through the cities on their way to discovering rural Scotland and see our amazing country, meet our warm and friendly locals, taste our world class fresh produce and drink our many national drinks including whisky and irn bru! We also need to sort out broadband issues and mobile

INTERVIEW property rates + 35%, minimum wage + over 20% and pensions +521%, albeit from a low base.

Whilst we have appreciated the Scottish Government phasing in the latest property rates increases, 12.5% per annum is way more than even the sustained 53 months of sales growth we have seen. We know retail, restaurants and bars are struggling and high streets are disappearing as retailers opt to just sell online. I really think at Westminster and the Scottish Government need to re-look at this archaic property tax. Why do we pay these taxes now when so much retail is on the internet and not contributing? I’m not sure other industries are taxed on their sales like the hospitality industries? Should we be looking at a tax which every business contributes and not just target buildings. We employ large

NEWARK AIRPORT

phone signals. What cheaper way to promote this beautiful country than for visitors to take a picture and put it on social media for all their friends at home to see. We have to attract the growing middle class from China and India.’

One hotel that her dad considered buying recently was Turnberry Hotel. Nicola explains, “My dad started out in hospitality working as a junior night porter at Turnberry... but realistically we couldn’t have afforded to do what Trump has done and getting the volume of staff in these out of town hotels is very difficult. In fact we really need to lobby government, particularly post Brexit, so that we can pull staff from places like the Philippines. Right now there is not enough people of working age in the UK that consider hospitality a career, despite the fact that tourism is one of the country’s biggest employers. It’s a different story in Switzerland, Italy and France where people have a wonderful long and fulfilling career in hospitality.

As an accountant once reminded me; ‘we don’t bank sales we bank profit!’ Costs are what is hindering hotel operators and will stop investment in underperforming assets. Some examples of increases over the past 5 years;

“What cheaper way to promote this beautiful country than for visitors to take a picture and put it on social media for all their friends at home to see. We have to attract the growing middle class from China and India.’ ” amounts of people and should be encouraged not discouraged to employ more, especially with new technology affecting jobs and careers.

Without them what do people do for work?

I am old enough to remember Margaret Thatcher closing the shipyards in Glasgow.

Seeing hard working men losing their ability to earn money to look after their families. We all need a purpose in life’ And how does Nicola see tomorrow….

Robots? Automation? The guest doing more for themselves?

‘I was delayed in Newark for 10 hours a couple of weeks ago, hours of my life I’ll never get back!

At every eating place from McDonalds and KFC to an upmarket Italian every setting had an iPad to order and a credit card to pay before delivery, they even added service even though the diner did the work! Is this ‘hospitality of the future?’

We’ve lost the alarm clock on the TV, I’m not sure how long it will before we lose the TV? Everyone wanders around with their own iPad watching their own choice from Netflix. I’m not sure we’ll have telephones in bedrooms as no one uses them except to order room service. I imagine that will be done thru your app. Although

I better be careful what I say as I don’t want to be remembered like the man who thought these en suite bathrooms wouldn’t take on!

Interest rate rises, perhaps inevitable although this will impact the capital owners spend on refurbishing their hotels and improving the guest experience, not helpful when trying to compete in a global market.

She still oversees her family’s owned hotels and restaurant in an Asset Management role, although they are managed by Interstate UK (the company that acquired Charon Management Limited in 2013), and she currently sits on IHG’s Global Owners board, the board of The British Hospitality Association now called UK Hospitality. Says Nicola, “IHG Owners Association is a really powerful global organisation who really engage with their owners at the coal face. They franchise over 5,000 hotels around the world. Like a lot of these committees, my peers 15 years ago were all men, now I’m delighted to see many young and dynamic women much more involved.

You do learn a lot from your peers and the wonderful thing about the hotel owners is that most of the people I know are not operating in the same market. I can ask someone in London or New York for advice – because our hotels are in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Dunfermline so we are not competing with each other. You also learn a lot from big hedge funds as well as from the family that has one hotel. People look at their businesses in different ways. For me it is about constantly moving the business on and constantly making improvements as the guests demands change.

WiFi is the new ‘en suite bathroom’ It’s not just technology that is moving fast, Nicola believes that there is too much competition coming into the Scottish cities. She explains, “There is a lot of foreign investors coming into the market because of the low exchange rate. I think there will be a lot of milk spilt. The local council has been encouraging the big brands into Glasgow and certainly it is good to have big ambitions and big plans but you don’t just build a hotel and the guests arrive! However, being a Glaswegian, she is delighted that Glasgow has made the New York Times list of top 10 destinations in the world.

Although that doesn’t mean to say she doesn’t have any further ambitions. Going forward Nicola is keen to grow the family’s portfolio from six to eight in the next couple of years, and she still enjoys working with her father, although she admits, “It has its moments.” She tells me, “We are alike – which is quite annoying, because as I get older I am finding that his annoying habits are my own.”

Certainly this hotel babe’s love of hospitality is one habit that she did inherit from her Dad. MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 21

SLEEP BY DESIGN With our unique ‘Build a Bed’ feature, Linx Beds allows you the freedom to design and plan just the right bed for you and your room. We offer the freedom to choose a base fabric from a range of fabric types and colours that you will not want to be hidden away. You can even send in your own fabric choice should our range not compliment your rooms colour scheme. Bases are constructed with a variety of options such as drawers or even having a guest bed underneath. Our headboards can be fitted to all base types and have their own styles to choose from with the fabric matched to the base for continuity. Finally, the mattress is selected and we have a range designed to offer a perfect solution to all customers needs. From conception to completion you can view your ideal bed right in front of you. After everything is selected, your bed can be guaranteed to stand out from all the rest and to fit perfectly with all your furnishings!

CREATE A KING When you need to quickly combine two twin beds into one king size bed, why not give the Create-A-King a try? Retain the independence of twins beds but easily create a king. A two inch connecting belt wraps around the mattresses securely bringing the beds together.

• Easy and quick to install • Sheepskin material covers the centre strip Used at many prestigious hotels this design allows for the rigorous demands of the hospitality industry but works in the home as a simple but cost effective tool to bring beds together. Enjoy king size comfort without the king size expense.

Linx Beds, Unit 49 Calder Wharf Mills, Huddersfield Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF13 3JW Contact Number: 01924 566 403

Email: info@linxbeds.co.uk

DESIGN FOCUS

KM CENTRAL 5 RICHMOND PL, EDINBURGH EH8 9ST

K

M Central is a new three-star, 45-roomed hotel on the site of a former student residence owned and operated by the the University of Edinburgh’s commercial arm Edinburgh First.

The £2.7m transformation of the hotel, say designers SDReid brings to the Edinburgh market a “quirky ‘left bank’s style interior concept’. The designers were tasked with maximising the available space which was a challenge due to the fact the designers had to work within the confines of the existing student room structure.

However the result is a vibrant and eclectic space with well-equipped bedrooms and a breakfast/common room. Explains Scott Torrance, Head of Interiors at 3DReid, “In the bedrooms, the compact space, 18sqm, was a challenge and we had to use a series of techniques to make the rooms feel light and airy. In some rooms, we made best use of the floor space by having super king size beds which fitted into three corners of the room, under the window. The headboard also wrapped around three sides so the client could sleep any way around.”

Although the hotel has industrial style features

a lighter, more quirky and fun feel was brought in with an eclectic mix of materials, textures and furniture. Bright bursts of colour within the fixed joinery elements and furniture softened the industrial feel. Hundreds of postcards, riveted metal plates, and wire pigeon hole boxes created a variety of feature wallpapers, with wooden pallets forming the public bathroom ceilings and OSB rough boards, ‘branded’ with their delivery information, formed the WC cubicles.

The breakfast room, Circa, is also the post graduate student common room, performing as a dining space for the hotel guests in the morning, and a study and relaxation space for the rest of the day. This allowed a mix of different furniture types, from traditional dining style tables and chairs to communal high table seating areas with power sockets for charging phones and laptops.

The exposed ceilings and industrial materials opened up the space, maximising the natural light. In conjunction with the client, the team decided to use furniture rather than fixed screens or acoustic baffles to improve the acoustics. 3DReid’s design introduced high backed sofas and chairs (for group or single

study) and three booth seats which featured TVs and upholstered banquette seating running up and over the ceiling.

Randomly coloured chairs add a zesty note in the bedrooms, along with various Edinburghthemed wall murals with different colourways.

The bathrooms feature small sized tiles and a wall to ceiling mirror to reflect light back around the room. An integrated vanity unit gives a sleek finish and a sliding feature door finishes the look.

Concludes Scott, “The key to the success of the project was the rebranding and repositioning of the spaces within a commercial hospitality offering, as well as increasing the flexibility of the breakfasting room. The space now operates 24 hours, serving hotel guest breakfast, whilst accommodating students for single or group study, workshops and satellite learning.”

KM Central is the second project 3DReid has undertaken for Edinburgh First; the first being the four star Masson House Hotel in Edinburgh.

3DReid designed and delivered the new interior design concept and branding for this comfortable and stylish hotel. Situated in the heart of the city, Masson House Hotel offers a new level of service for clients, be they travelling academics or tourists.

MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 23

The Invercarse Hotel in Dundee has just undergone an extensive refurbishment and a new wing has also been added.

SUSAN YOUNG reports

INVERCARSE HOTEL GROWS T 371 PERTH RD, DUNDEE DD2 1PG

With a history dating back to 1865, Dovetails heritage lies in Dundee; a UNESCO City of Design.

Dovetail is one of the oldest furniture and bed manufacturers in Scotland, with an extensive selection designed specifically for the contract market.

Together with the Invercarse Hotel and their Architect Arktx, Dovetail designed and manufactured bedroom furniture especially for them.

Understanding operational requirements and design aspirations was fundamental in creating this contemporary functional furniture, suitable for use within their busy hotel.

The project was completed with co-ordinating soft furnishings, chairs and sofa beds.

From its site in Dundee Dovetail also manufacture fire rated doors & doorsets.

Working with the Redwood Leisure team helps Dovetail, as a supported business; fulfil its role in providing employment and training opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged members of society.

The team, at Dovetail wish The Invercarse Hotel every success for the opening for this new bedroom extension www.dovetailenterprises.co.uk • T: 01382 810099 E: sales@dovetailenterprises.co.uk

24 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

he Invercarse Hotel in Dundee has just benefitted from a £1.7m investment by owners Gordon and Martina WhitingThe hotel, which comes under the Redwood Leisure Group banner, is a sister hotel to the Woodlands in Broughty Ferry and both are paying members to the Best Western Brand.

The substantial investment by Redwood Leisure has seen a brand new wing built and the re-design of the hotel’s restaurant as well as the refurbishment of its existing bedrooms, the expanding of the hotel’s car parking facilities and the Banqueting Suite refreshed.

Libby Reynolds, the hotel’s Sales Manager, told Hotel Scotland, “The decision was taken by Gordon and Martina to invest in the group’s hotels following the announcement that the Victoria and Albert Museum of Design (V&A) was to be built in Dundee.” At the time Mike Galloway who was involved in the economic development for Dundee said that when it opened the city would need more hotel rooms.

So Gordon and Martina decided to do their bit, and started with the Woodlands which they spent £1.5m on in 2015. They added 24 rooms bringing the Woodlands total to 65. It was a bit of a risk, because obviously V&A wasn’t opened, and in fact it will not open until September this year. But they thought, “Let’s expand.” Certainly the Woodlands has been trading very well since the extension, which is one of the reasons that they decided to invest in The Invercarse.

DESIGN FOCUS

The hotel’s existing forty four rooms were refurbished before the extension was started and the restaurant was transformed to cater for the additional guests that the extra 24-bedrooms in the new wing would accommodate. Today the hotel has 68 bedrooms in total.

Says Libby, local contractors were used when the Woodlands was extended and pretty much the same local companies have been used at Invercarse which means the money goes directly into the local economy and wider surrounds. For example, Arktx architects designed the building and suggested schemes for decoration, George Martin did the build, CM Sturrock Electricians provided the electrical services, Dovetail supplied all the furniture, and we also used local decorators and carpet fitters” She continues, “Work started last January and the first thing that had to be done was expand the carpark. New hotels in Dundee in the city centre don’t need to supply additional parking, but planning required that Invercarse did. So, another 24 car parking spaces have been created – which means the Hotel now has parking for 100 cars. The ramp to the car park was moved over to the right and reclaim some waste ground at the back in order to increase the car park space. This means that we can easily cater for coach parties, and even if the hotel is full there is still enough parking for people coming to dine, additionally, there are six new charging points for electric cars.”

MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 25

The conservatory restaurant now has more covers following its re-design. Libby comments, “It has been reconfigured so that we have more flexibility when it comes to maximising the space available. The restaurant was previously on two levels with hard fixed benchstyle seating, which was quite restrictive. The main restaurant is now on one level, and opens out on to decking. There is also a semi-private dining area in that part of the conservatory which can sit up to 18 people.”

There is another area to the right which can also be used for private events and this is on a lower level, and leads directly out to the garden, with its grand Redwood trees, which is why Redwood Leisure was so named. This space also boasts a large wall mural of the Tay Bridge painted by a local painter. But really the most stunning visage of all is the view from the restaurant across the River Tay. The new wing which has a curved glass brick feature, which houses a fine carpeted fire escape. It might win an award for the finest fire escape in Scotland! Part of the design includes solar panels on the roof that will generate enough electricity to serve the whole extension and possibly a bit more. Libby comments, “That will go towards our green credentials and sustainability of it. The way the building was designed also means that the corridors do not require much lighting, a long corridor with elevated roof lets light flood through.

The new wing has two disabled rooms, twelve family rooms which also have sofa beds and interconnecting rooms, as well as a celebration room. Explains, Libby, “We call it a Celebration 26 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

room instead of a bridal suite, because people book the room for all sorts of celebrations.”

The rooms are stylish and contemporary and are split into two palates – 12 rooms feature a mauve and pink feature wall, and the other 12 shades of green feature wall. The walnut furniture is the same in all the rooms – with each featuring a desk/dressing table, bed surround, and open wardrobe. All the beds are zip and link and all the bedrooms feature 55” plasma TV’s and also have media hubs. The new bathrooms all have walk in showers and are tiled.

Dovetail manufactured and supplied all the furniture and soft furnishing. Ann Jamieson, Sales and Marketing Manager of Dovetail comments, “We have a long standing relationship with Redwood Leisure which has been built on a mutual undestanding of our individual businesses. As a client they have a clear idea of what they want but are receptive to our ideas and that is why the relationship delivers.”

She added, “We also enjoyed the project because we had the opprtunity to supply everything in the room, so we could really pull it all together. We worked with the architect and the client to ensure the best possible finish.”

Libby concludes, “We are already full booked for the Open, and I think we will also attract more families now that we have the new rooms and obviously we are aiming to attract people coming to Dundee to see V&A. It’s anticipated visitors will come to Dundee to see V&A, however, it is up to us and other

local businesses to create a viable tourism product. We have to create a product that makes it worthwhile for folk to not just come for the day, but to stay too. Therefore Dundee needs to be offering a wider tourism product.

Both Invercarse Hotel and Woodlands Hotel are members of DAVAA, the Dundee and Angus Visitor Accommodation Association, which is an organisation that provides a voice for accommodation providers and allows us to share information and work together.

Accommodation providers are all doing their bit and familiarising themselves with what the area has to offer, this way we hope to not only attract visitors to our accommodation, but get them to stay a little a longer, and most importantly, return with friends!

One of the attractions at the Invercarse this year will be a Maggie’s Penguin. Explains Libby, “Gordon and Martina, sponsored a Maggie’s Penguin to support Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, the 80 penguins will be on parade around the city this summer and one will be sponsored by the Invercarse. There will be an app for families to download and find all the Penguin’s. Once the app is downloaded and you unlock the penguins offers will be given from each sponsor, we thought it fitting to offer a discount from our new family rooms. The Oor Wullie trail last year was hugely successful and Redwood Leisure bid for an won an Oor Wullie , people loved getting their pictures taken with it. We hope the Penguin will be as popular.”

Certainly if the Penguin looks as good as the new look Invercarse Hotel, I’m sure it will.

Local laundry everywhere we go Fishers is the market leader for textile rental, industrial workwear and laundry throughout Scotland and the North East of England.

Visit our website at www.fisherslaundrygroup.co.uk

C.M.STURROCK ELECTRICAL SERVICES LTD We are electrical contractors covering all aspects of the electrical trade from small private job to large commercial and industrial installations and maintenance. We are a family ran buisness with myself (craig sturrock) managing director and Amanda Stewart company secretary.

We would like to wish Redwood Leisure all the best on their new 24 bedroom extension and hope to keep growing a strong working relationship going forward.

Victoria Cottage, Inchture, PH14 9RN Tel 01828 686115 • Email info@cmsturrock.co.uk MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 27

WHAT’S XXXXXXXX NEW

A NEW LOOK CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

S

cotch whisky distiller Gordon & MacPhail has announced the relaunch of its por tfolio of single malt Scotch whiskies.

The 122-year-old, family-owned company is streamlining its existing por tfolio into five distinct ranges: ‘Discovery’, ‘Distillery Labels’, ‘Connoisseurs Choice’,‘Private Collection’, and ‘Generations’.

The first range to be unveiled will be ‘Connoisseurs Choice’, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year.

Stephen Rankin, Director of Prestige and a four th generation member of the Urquhar t family, owners of Gordon & MacPhail comments, “Gordon & MacPhail has a 122-year history of forging strong and lasting relationships with distillers across Scotland and our loyal consumers.

With four generations of experience in the whisky industry, we have continually evolved, innovated, and grown.

“As we begin a new chapter, we are streamlining our por tfolio to make it more accessible for our consumers, placing their desire for products with heritage, authenticity, and provenance at the hear t of each range. We want to take malt whisky lovers on a journey that will help them explore beyond their usual whisky choices.”

The newly refreshed ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ was first pioneered in 1968 by George Urquhar t, second generation of the family, at a time when very few whiskies were bottled as single malts.

Stephen continues,“When my grandfather launched ‘Connoisseurs Choice’, he was considered eccentric for taking such an innovative approach. This range provided an oppor tunity for whisky lovers to explore whiskies that had never previously been bottled as single malts. As a result, he is heralded as one of the pioneers of the single malt category.Our ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ range remains true to my grandfather’s vision and philosophy”.

The brand-new ‘Discovery’ range will follow in late spring; ‘Distillery Labels’ will launch in the summer, and new look ‘Private Collection’ range will be released in the autumn; the next ‘Generations’’unveiling is still to be revealed.

TANQUERAY LAUNCHES EXCITING NEW GIN CRAFTED FROM SEVILLE ORANGES Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla is the newest addition to the Tanqueray portfolio. An innovative new addition to the gin landscape, the blend is made with Seville oranges and pays homage to Tanqueray’s roots which saw founder Charles Tanqueray use oranges in his original 1830s recipes.

Anita Robinson, Europe Category Director for Gin, said: “Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla is something really different for the world of gin and reflects our love of innovating with flavour. We’ve matched the quality of 200 years of Tanqueray heritage with a fresh new flavour that captures the spirit of Seville in a perfectly balanced gin. The result is incredibly exciting and we’re sure that bartenders everywhere will enjoy bringing a little bit of Seville into their customers’ lives this summer.”

The gin profile is sweet and tangy with tangerine notes and hints of juniper and coriander. It has an an ABV of 41.3%

GLEN MORAY CELEBRATES 1994 SUCCESS Glen Moray Distillery is celebrating the success of Glen Moray’s 1994 Sherry Cask Finish which won the Best Scotch, Speyside Single Cask Single Malt award at The World Whiskies Awards 2018. It was released as part of a series of three whiskies, along with the 1994 Bourbon Cask and 1994 Peated Cask.

Glen Moray 1994 Sherry Cask Finish is a limited edition whisky which has a rich chestnut colour. It has classic sherry characteristics with rich cinnamon and clove aromas. It costs £125 for a 70cl bottle and is only available directly from The Glen Moray Visitors Centre.

NEW LIMITED EDITION EDINBURGH GIN CELEBRATES LINK UP WITH ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS Edinburgh Gin has created a new limited-edition gin, Edinburgh Gin 1670, which celebrates the history of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). This partnership saw Edinburgh Gin’s Head Distiller, David Wilkinson, working closely with Botanist, Dr Greg Kenicer, over more than 12 months to carefully craft this tailormade gin using using rare and exotic botanicals grown and handpicked in the city’s most famous garden.

The gin has been named in honour of the year that the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh was founded as a physic garden, almost 350 years ago. 12,000 bottles have been produced with an RRP of £40.

Edinburgh Gin’s Head Distiller, David Wilkinson, said,“At Edinburgh Gin we are constantly striving to create new, classic gins with a modern twist. Working so closely with Botanist, Dr Greg Kenicer, and to be given access to such a wealth of unique plants and botanicals provided a great opportunity to create something truly special.

“Innovation and excellence is in our DNA. Having a world centre of excellence for botany on our doorstep made for a great natural partnership that enabled us to experiment with a range of handpicked botanicals to create an enticingly aromatic gin with lively herbaceous – almost floral – notes with added peppery spice.”

MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 29

PEOPLE XXXXXXX

MOIR JOINS BOCLAIR HOUSE

A

lison Moir has joined Boclair House as General Manager. She joins us from the Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle in Dornoch where she worked for nearly seven years as House Manager.

Alison has a long background in hospitality, and her previous roles include working for Duchally Country Estate in Gleneagles for just over three years as Deputy General Manager, where she was also responsible for setting up revenue systems for Hustyns and Trenythan Manor, both located in Cornwall, and all part of the same group.

Hospitality is a far cry from what Alison studied

– which was anthropology and nursing - but when she was studying she was working in hospitality. A move to the Hilton Coylumbridge in Aviemore, saw her rise to become Assistant Manager, and she was at The Pond Hotel for its opening.

Alison comments, “I love hospitality. It’s the people, the pace, how it’s open to change. It’s often a misunderstood business. It’s a very active industry, and it’s interesting”.

IF YOU HAVE ANY APPOINTMENTS LET US KNOW AT HOTEL SCOTLAND EMAIL: NEWS@MEDIAWORLDLTD.COM

She said of her new appointment, “I want to make Boclair as good as it can be. It won’t be down to me – it’ll be the team who will deliver.”

BERNARD MURPHY LEAVES GLENEAGLES HOTEL Bernard Murphy has left Gleneagles Hotel for “new challenges”. Murphy who had been Managing Director of the resort for the past three years, left at the end of March having spent 10 years in total with the five-star hote. He led the sale of Gleneagles by former owners Diageo, to Ennismore, following the most successful Ryder Cup ever.

In a statement the hotel said, “Bernard has worked collaboratively with Sharan Pasricha and the Ennismore team to embrace their vision for Gleneagles and integrate new ownership into a mature business. He has led the team through the repositioning

and rebranding of the business, whilst simultaneously working with the leadership team to its most successful commercial performance to date.”

Bernard commented, “It has been an amazing experience post the Ryder Cup to work alongside such committed, energetic and enthusiastic ownership and a privilege to work with the Ennismore team to develop and reinvigorate the business.

He continued, “With the majority of the physical work on site now complete, a strong leadership team in place and brand values communicated across the business, the team

are ready to take the business to its next stage.

I am proud of the team that has worked with me to achieve this and would like to thank each and every one of them for making this time such a rewarding and enjoyable part of my career and wish them every success in the future both collectively and individually.”

Bernard has represented the hospitality industry as Chairman Connoiseur’s Scotland, Trustee of Hospitality Industry Trust, Scotland and as a member of the BHA Committee.

There has been no announcement yet whether a successor will be appointed.

NEW SPANISH CHEF FOR LINKS HOUSE Links House at Royal Dornoch has a new head chef and food and beverage manager.

Spanish-born Javier Santos has joined as new head chef. Javi has been a prodigy of the Roux stable for several years, serving most recently as head chef at award-winning Rockpool Reserve in Inverness since 2013.

He has also worked within the Roux organisation at Michelin stared, Le Gavroche and The Waterside Inn. Javi is classically French trained. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.

30 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

He plans on expanding the exceptional reputation of Links House for the finest Highland cuisine utilising a vast network of local specialty suppliers.

Fiona Herd has also joined Links House as food and beverage manager. Fiona has an extensive experience in the hospitality and events industry.

Fiona, who has managed her own hospitality recruitment business, previously served as events and business development executive at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.

The appointments coincide with the recent opening of the expanded restaurant. at Links House - The Orangery which was closed over Winter season in order to implement a major expansion of the restaurant and renown wine cellar. The Orangery will now seat over 30 people and will be more able to meet demand from non-residents of the hotel.

The Orangery will focus on seasonal delicacies with a Highland flare, locally sourced from a selection of the finest specialty suppliers.

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32 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

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MAY 2018 • HOTELSCOTLAND • 33

CHECKOUT There is a lot of talk of appealing to Millennials, and speakers the Scottish Tourism Alliance Conference brought the subject up too. But looking at the populations statistics you can’t help feeling that perhaps we are all getting hung up over Millenials – the definition is those born between 1981 and 1996. Generation X is the name given to those born between 1965 and 1980 and Baby Boom 1945 – 1964... In the UK statistics show • 25-29 – 4.5 million • 30-34 – 4.4 million • 35-39 – 4.1 million • 40 -44 – 4.1 million • 45 – 49 – 4.6m million • 50 – 54 – 4.6 million • 55-59 – 4 million The largest age group consisted of resident that were aged between 50 and 54 years of age, at 4,632,000. In contrast, the number of 10 to 14 year olds was 3,625,100. Just saying!

The new Radisson Red at Finnieston has a lovely wee mascot in the shape of Baxter – a wee pup of the Boston Terrier variety. He will

HERS S WAS • GLAS ERS H S WA • DISH ES ACHIN • ICE M LERS O LE CO • BOT T

FROM THE EDITOR spend his days at the hotel welcoming guests, and will live with one of the hotel’s team.

GM Michael Welsh told me, “We are dog friendly and we felt it only appropriate that we had our own dog too.”

According to press reports the new Scottish hotel being opened by BrewDog will have beer taps in the bedroom and a fridge of beer in the shower. It will also have a view of the brewery...not necessarily the prettiest of visages. I can’t help that I would prefer to be in a whisky region with a view of a distillery – just a tad more scenic. In fact now you can go to Finnieston and view the Clydeside Distillery from your bedroom!

Hotel shampoo has hit the headlines this last month with singer Halsey calling out hotels for not providing shampoo for “people of colour”. She tweeted that it was frustrating that the hotel toiletry industry entirely alienates people of colour”. “I can’t use this perfumed watered down white people shampoo,” she said – adding that nor could half of their customers. Her tweet was liked 1,000’s of times, however the impression from the responses was it’s the quality of the shampoo...said another – “It makes my hair feel like dry strings. If you’re gonna complain about shampoo, do it on behalf of everyone who can’t use it. Not just poc (people of colour).”

Suppliers of Glass Washers, Dishwashers, Ice Making Machines & Bottle Coolers.

American hotel group Wyndham Hotels is trying to get parents to reconnect with their children while they are on holiday in their hotels. They say that research showed that 54 percent of children believe their parents check their phones “too often” and 32 percent said that they feel “unimportant” when their parents are distracted by screens. It has now launched a program that gives parents a 5% discount in exchange for locking away their phones. Guests will receive a lock box to put away their smartphones. The box has a timer and will not open until the time expires.The program is ongoing at Wyndham Grand hotels (Clearwater Beach, Orlando Bonnet Creek, Chicago Riverfront, Hotel Galvez, and The Mills House) and it will run until September.

46 Dalsholm Road Glasgow G20 0TB. Tel: 0141 946 0444

Veganism is this year’s on-trend food behaviour according to researchers – last year apparently it was Barbequed food (think Scotland might have missed this one!), but now food operators need to ensure that they have vegan options on the menu, or they could be missing out.

www.simsautomatics.co.uk

34 • HOTELSCOTLAND • MAY 2018

HOTELSCOTLAND HOTELSCOTLAND 001 - APRIL 2017

HOTELSCOTLAND 02 - MAY 2017

SCOTLAND’S INSPIRATIONAL INDEPENDENT HOTELIERS

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: BILL COSTLEY

THE SCOTTISH TOURISM ALLIANCE CONFERENCE

A NEW CHAPTER FOR AUCHRANNIE

HOTELSCOTLAND 03 – JUNE 2017

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

STEVE GRAHAM WELCOMES MINISTER TO THE BUSBY HOTEL INTERVIEW: DALE MACPHEE AROUND THE WORLD TO THE WALDORF

H OT E L S C OT L A N D 07 – FEBRUARY

2018

ISSN 2515-828

7

ALISTAIR BR E REVEALS NEW LOUC OK KEAVIL HOUSE INTERVIEW: LISA WISHA XXRT,XXLISXX INIX

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HOTELSCOTLAND – the only print publication dedicated to Scotland’s hotel industry

HOTEL ADVERTISINGAND ANDMARKETING MARKETING ENQUIRIES: 221 6965 HOTEL SCOTLAND SCOTLAND ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: TEL:TEL: 01410141 221 6965 CONTACT: STEVEN SYLVIA FORSYTH sylvia@mediaworldltd.com CONTACT: BARR steven@mediaworldltd.com