Welcome to the website of Scotland’s
“flagship national hotel awards” program
- First Minister Alex Salmond
Western House: Hotel of the Year
WELCOME TO SCOTLAND'S OFFICIAL
HOTEL AWARDS & EVENT
The Scottish Hotel Awards
2009 results | 2010 nominations now open
“On March 1st 2009 the annual Scottish hotels awards were held for the
sixth time. As usual, this year’s Awards Night Party – Scotland’s biggest dedicated
hoteliers' event, the official opening evening of
ScotHot '09 – was as sparkling, emotional, slightly irreverent and enjoyable
as ever… thanks to the spirit of an industry determined to stay upbeat and constructive!
The annual party and gala dinner was held at the
Crowne Plaza, SECC Glasgow. Check out the photos!
Over 360 hoteliers attended, with the
Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Alex Fergusson MSP, handing
over the top awards of the lively evening including the Hotel of the Year title
to Western House in Ayr
– who received a crystal stars trophy and a rare magnum of
Bisol’s flagship wine, ‘Crede’. “An outstanding hotel”, said the ‘speaker’
of our parliament, “and a fitting tribute appropriately made to a ‘Burn’s Country’
hotel in the Year of Homecoming”.
Hoteliers of the Year 2009 were named as Wendy & Don Matheson of
Boath House; Man of the Year 2009 is Norman Springford, Executive Chairman
of Apex Hotels Group – who also won Hotel
Group of the Year. Manager of the Year 2009 title was presented by the Presiding
Officer to Seamus Coen of Macdonald
Hotels.
For the complete list of winners,
please click here for a PDF list. But from the Isles of Coll, Arran and
Skye and more, from Wigtown in Galloway to Tongue and Lochinver in the far north,
Inverness, Aberdeen – all the cities in fact – to the Borders, hoteliers with drive
came to party. At a party with a purpose!
The reviewers, experienced Scottish hotel judges and event team who organised the
process and event were joined by a number of high-profile industry partners and
guests. Celebrated Scottish cookery writer and columnist
Lady Claire Macdonald, herself a Highland hotelier, presented the food category
awards alongside Neil Thomson, CEO of the Federation
of Chefs Scotland, a member of the Awards Committee. Paul Wilson of
Xpress Recruitment and writers for FoodReview
Scotland and various guide books and magazines assisted the chairman
and deputy chairman who hosted the event.
No other Scottish hotel awards draw on such a continuity of knowledge and procedure,
and none are as thorough, people-centred and high-profile. We worked on nominations,
considered finalists and monitored consumer feedback both online and via report
postcards for over a year. And until these official Scottish hotels awards were
announced by a range of VIPs at the dinner – the opening event of ScotHot ’09 which
was launched by the First Minister – we didn’t cease our round of professional review
and critical judging visits / interviews. The event itself raised funds for the
scholarship programme of HIT Scotland,
represented on the 2009 Awards Committee by their dedicated CEO, David Cochrane.
After welcoming arrival Champagne provided by
Procure Wizard, the show opened with a Homecoming Scotland 2009 theme in
video and live song; a Flag Bearer with an official flag from the
Scottish Flag Trust in Athelstaneford led in the Awards Panel in procession;
later in the night Keith Jack, sexy Dalkieth-born
star of the hit reality TV show ‘Any Dream Will Do’, had everyone up dancing to
his sensational voice.
There were striking new indoor fireworks from
Acclaim Fireworks… a trio of burlesque acts from
Club Noir pushed buttons and boundaries… and in an emotional moment
the Fellowship 2009 was presented to the people of Poland, to mark the “outstanding
contribution of Polish-born staff to the industry”: this was received by the Scotland-loving
Consul-General Aleksander Dietkow. This delighted all concerned and the night, indeed,
saw three Polish nationals now living in Scotland being recognised on merit for
the quality of their achievements here. Alex Fergusson called the Fellowship’s dedication
“just and justified, an honour with my full support”.
2009 may have its challenges for hoteliers but March 1st was a night
when forward-thinking, passion, dedication and hard work was celebrated – and Scotland
has much talent and success to recognise in this vital national industry, ‘Scotland’s
handshake with the world’, as we put it this year.
Indeed we toasted such with beautiful ‘Jeio’ Bisol, the ‘finest Prosecco from Italy
since 1542’, generously arranged by
Bibendum. At the heart of our mission over the next couple of years, as
the awards are operated by Review Guides
who are now launching FoodReview Scotland, is a determination to show the world
that Scotland can offer some of the finest food to be found anywhere.
Soon we look forward to an exciting development when
The Scottish Hotel Guide will be introduced as the official partner of the
awards and the highest quality online critic and consumer guide to Scotland's
best hotels. But for now we would like to thank the Crowne Plaza Glasgow and some
key people there – manager Dominic; Andrew in events; Mark in banqueting; and Kenneth,
head chef – for their hard work and professionalism in delivering a memorable event
to their peers in the Scottish hotel industry. Their service to us organisers was
5-star, no less. To Peter of PDF Productions
who partnered with us in the event management and provided an amazing service with
passion and complete identification with our ambitions – kudos!
Thank you to everyone who attended the Awards Night Party on March 1st,
and for the kind and often hilarious e-mails of appreciation. Thank you to our sponsors
and supporters. We hope you’d a terrific time – and enjoy the photographs. Copies
can be provided from our excellent official photographer
Walter Neilson or our artistic, in-house reviewer and snapper
Ken Scott.
And so – here’s to the 7th Scottish Hotel Awards which will be held in
Edinburgh on February 28th 2010 – and as you will see from the side panel
above right, nominations, suggestions and supportive comments are invited from now
on until January 31st 2010 as we have already embarked on our newly structured,
year-long Scottish Hotel Awards Program.”
Gary McLean-Quin & Vivien Devlin
Chairman & Deputy-Chairman
The Scottish Hotel Awards Committee
© The Scottish Hotel Awards by Review Guides from McLean Publishing Company Limited
Event Managed by Review Awards Limited
Email us here.