H O W   W E   J U D G E   &   A S S E S S

2013 process, team & categories

New regional and national process for 10th year

“The flagship awards for the Scottish hotel industry” - First Minister

Judging Team 2013 | Award Categories 2013 | Map of Judging Regions

The Scottish Hotel Awards are independent and unsubsidised by government. Partner to Scotland Magazine, they are organised by a professional team the key members of which have chaired and developed the process and event since 2003. Much input is given on a voluntary basis and the Scottish Hotel Awards Judging Team is supported again this year by an impressive Industry Expert Peer Judging Team, bringing up-to-the-moment expertise and knowledge.

N O M I N A T I O N S

Nominations come from a variety of sources – and over a full year. We receive nominations from our team of reviewers and judging experts; from consumers via this website and others where we place links, and from feedback postcards; from hotels, chefs and hoteliers; and from other industry contacts. Our task is to shape these nominations into the basis of the awards categories each year so that the final results are as appropriate and relevant to the particular year. Nominations for the 2013, 10th anniversary awards opened on November 1st with final nominations / votes requested by Friday April 12th.

J U D G I N G

The Scottish Hotel Awards are thorough. Every single nominated hotel is visited and stayed at. No hotel is accepted for an award without being known well to us. Nominees are advised in writing and must accept their nominations. Every individual nominee is met or interviewed. Interviews can last up to two hours. We sometimes spend up to 24 hours on site. An award might come after several years’ input. Where relevant, we ask for facts and figures as supporting material for nominations. We also carry out our own research and benchmarking. We receive industry intelligence and check out all the main feedback / review websites for trends.

Vitally, our team have a wide range of skills (from kitchen to design and technology to hotel management to marketing) and we are, above all, able to be comparative – for example, if two hotels are contenders for the same award, then the same reviewer will visit each / discuss each with the chairman of the judges. Judges have this specialist knowledge and each member can veto a nominee or proposed winner within their area of expertise. They can also, of course, nominate and guide the team in selecting final winners. Judges can see the full list of finalists and proposed winners.

It is a thorough, up-to-the-minute and comprehensive system based on expert critic, comparative and consumer input. It is all designed to encourage and recognise the best in Scottish hospitality in all departments of the hotel industry.