Prince’s retreat leads glory night at awards
We take pride in offering all our guests a luxurious experience when they come to visit Dumfries House Colin Caird
Prince Charles’ Dumfries House has led Ayrshire on a night of success at Scotland’s Hotel Awards.
The estate’s five- star Lodge, an exclusive country guest house which sits on the edge of the 2000- acre plot, landed the prestigious prize of Luxurious Guest House of the Year.
It was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2012.
The Lodge, which features 22 en- suite rooms and two self- catering cottages, beat off stiff competition from guest houses across Scotland to triumph in the ‘ Oscars’ of the industry.
The awards, which have been running for 17 years, had been scheduled for a glittering bash at Edinburgh’s Sheraton Grand Hotel but were moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Staff from Dumfries House tuned in from their homes to watch the virtual awards ceremony.
Colin Caird, manager of Dumfries House Lodge, said: “My team and I are delighted.
“We take pride in offering all our guests a luxurious experience when they come to visit Dumfries House so it’s great for the Lodge to be recognised in this way.
“While the Lodge, Dumfries House and the estate gardens are currently closed to help restrict the spread of coronavirus, my colleagues and I are looking forward to the day when we can welcome guests back to experience and enjoy everything Dumfries House estate has to offer.”
Home to the largest known collection of furniture designer Thomas Chippendale’s early work, Dumfries House is both a popular tourist destination and the headquarters of The Prince’s Foundation.
In East Ayrshire, the Foundation is one of the five biggest employers with more than 200 staff.
Other Ayrshire properties among the awards included Trump Turnberry, who won two national titles; Executive Chef of the Year, for Callum Dow, and the Afternoon Tea Award.
The resort also scored wins for Events Hotel of the Year ( Large Events) and Golf Hotel of the Year in the Southwest regional category.
Turnberry general manager, Ralph Porciani, said: “The results showcase the breadth of excellence at Turnberry; from our food and beverage expertise, to our ability to host world class conferences and events, and of course our golf courses which are ranked amongst the best in the world.
“While the awards were digital this year, it has provided some good news for an industry that is undeniably facing challenging times at the moment.
“With that said, I’m confident we will meet our friends and colleagues from across the industry at next year’s annual Gala Dinner and look forward to replicating our success in 2021.”
The Ayrshire- based RAD Group were named Wedding Hotel Group of the Year, with Aaron Kyle named Marketing Manager of the Year. The Carlton Hotel’s Kirsti Davies was a regional winner in the Restaurant Manager of the Year category.
Lochside Hotel, Lodges & Spa was named Spa Team of the Year, while the hotel’s Kimberley Vallance won Operations Manager of the Year.
The Lochside also won the Casual Dining Award for the Southwest region.