Glenapp Castle, a 17-bedroom luxury five-star hotel in Ayrshire, is reopening to guests on 15th of July. The castle is one of the first hotels in Scotland to announce an opening date.
A Relais & Chateaux hotel, Glenapp Castle is tucked away on the breath-taking Ayrshire coast and hidden at the end of a long private entrance. Guests find themselves getting lost within the castle’s 110 acres of private estate and local woodland or escaping to the majestic Scottish countryside for long romantic walks and beautiful views of Ailsa Craig and Northern Ireland.
In addition to its stunning location, the castle is renowned for offering an abundance of 65+ indoor and outdoor activities. From perfume making, wilderness living, archery, clay pigeon shooting, stargazing, foraging, bee keeping, tank driving, mountain biking and even interactive falconry displays, there truly is something for everyone.
Despite making the difficult decision to close in March in line with the government’s advice, the Glenapp Castle team remained positive and worked remotely with their guests on postponing bookings. They were glad to see that the majority, around 85%, were keen to rearrange rather than cancel altogether.
Over the last few weeks, as other parts of the world have started to reopen, Glenapp Castle has seen a small rise in new bookings predominantly from customers in the UK, but also a trickle from Europe and the US. The news of the reopening is only sure to bring about more enquiries and so the hotel has been carefully planning to ensure their guests have a safe stay and feel completely comfortable when they are able to return.
The hotel has also introduced new flexible booking policies and announced a four-for-three night offer with a fantastic saving price of £415.
The 110 acres of private estate and local woodland surrounding the hotel mean social distancing is something guests can easily undertake during their stay. The hotel is also fortunate to have several different rooms for dining which will allow for the necessary two metre spacing enabling guests to feel at ease.
However, if all of this isn’t enough, the castle has created a ‘Stay Safe’ policy. A few of the measures involved in this carefully thought out policy include hygiene packs being available in all bedrooms (sanitizer, masks, temperature strips, sanitizing wipes), and hygiene stations being placed throughout the hotel. Staff will have their temperature taken upon arrival on every shift and the restaurant will not be taking non-residential bookings over the summer period.
Glenapp Castle is expecting an exciting few months ahead as they are set to launch The Endeavour, its brand-new, self-contained penthouse apartment in September 2020. Through the conversion of the castle’s entire top floor, The Endeavour provides 4,500 sq ft of luxurious accommodation. The penthouse is made up of four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a lounge with dining room for up to 16 guests, a beautiful TV snug with seating for 12, sauna, library, a games room, a private lift and a personal treatment room for massages and beauty treatments. It is able to be offered on an exclusive and private basis with a full butler service and private chef, meaning those travelling with their friends or family will be able to enjoy the luxury of the hotel whilst maintaining complete privacy.
With a newfound appreciation for nature and a desire to find a holiday whereby we can self-isolate, the hotel is expecting to see a greater demand for its bespoke Hebridean Sea Safari. This unique experience offers guests a four night adventure exploring the Scottish isles in true style. Guests can spot incredible wildlife including basking sharks, dolphins, minke whales, and seals and but also explore the remote islands of Jura, Islay, Eilean Mor MacCormick and Gigha. With all the comforts of Glenapp Castle, a private chef joins the team on board to cook up sumptuous feasts along the way, with goodies such as lobster, oysters, indulgent racks of lamb and mackerel.
The Sea Safari team at Glenapp Castle is one step ahead of the voyage, arriving in advance of the travelling team to pitch luxury glamping tents. The camp is positioned in unique and remote locations, just perfect for those Scottish sunsets. Whilst sipping on a local dram, late evenings are spent looking out over the spectacular scenery and calming waters, before retreating to the luxury glamping tent in the wild. This is the perfect way for guests to explore the outdoors in isolation.
