The finalists for the hotel categories in the Boutique Hotelier Awards 2021 have been announced and Glenapp Castle has been shortlisted for an impressive three categories.
New for 2021, The Boutique Hotelier Awards ‘will reward the best hotels in the country, recognise the most innovative new products and mark the achievements of excellent staff and employers in the hospitality sector, after an incredibly challenging year’.
Glenapp Castle has not only been selected as a finalist for the ‘Boutique Hotel of the Year’, but the hard working Gardening team have also been selected for ‘Team of the Year’ and finally, Mark Littlejohn, Glenapp Castle’s Forestry & Wildlife Lead and one of the hotel’s most reliant and loyal members of the team, has been put forward as a finalist for the ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ category.
A 21-bedroom hotel, Glenapp Castle is located on the breath-taking Ayrshire coast, Scotland. Despite its stunning location, Ayrshire is less well known than popular tourist hotspots such as The Highlands and The Isle of Skye. However, this boutique hotel still remains to be one of the key drivers of business to this region. This is not surprising as Glenapp Castle offers 65 and more activities, world class F&B and unique dining experiences, including its new Azalea Glasshouse Restaurant & Events Space and of course its brand new Penthouse Castle Apartment, The Endeavour, that opened in May 2021.
The Endeavour has been the plan of Paul Szkiler (proprietor of Glenapp Castle), since he acquired the hotel back in 2015. A staggering four years in the making, the name, ‘The Endeavour’, is fitting, with two years out of the four taken up figuring out how to make The Endeavour fire safe. It is impressive that Glenapp Castle has managed to launch this apartment despite these challenges. This, coupled with the fact the team remaining so agile during the changing landscape of the pandemic have all been instrumental in Glenapp Castle being selected for ‘Boutique Hotelier of the Year’.
Next on the list is the gardening team. Glenapp Castle lies in a 110-acre estate and the spectacular gardens are one of the many wonders of the estate. The gardening team willingly returned to work during the pandemic and with their meticulous attention to detail, ensured the gardens continued to flourish and that the hotel was in perfect condition for reopening its doors to guests for the first time. The team also put in place new initiatives, such as introducing a new fibre optics lighting system throughout the grounds and new power to the Walled Garden. Indeed, they did all of this without a Head Gardener in place and so it is fantastic to see their commitment and dedication has been recognised.
Finally, Mark Littlejohn has been selected as ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’. His greatest achievement in the past couple of years has been helping to create The Hebridean Sea Safari, Glenapp Castle’s flagship activity and an experience they are becoming renowned for. The Hebridean Sea Safari gives guests the amazing chance to explore the Scottish isles in search of rare marine life, remote islands, coastal castles and distant inns. Guests will glamp in the wild, on the beautiful and remote island of Jura, indulge in sumptuous feasts, cooked by the Glenapp Castle chef team. Mark is an innovator and his outlook is always a glass half full. He is a brilliant craftsman specialising in woodwork in particular, but he is also extremely knowledgeable about wildlife, trees and plants. The hotel’s guests love to interact with him and often end up booking him for a wildlife walk due to his exceptional local knowledge – he is truly multiskilled.
Jill Chalmers, Managing Director, comments; “I am absolutely thrilled that we have been shortlisted for three categories at The Boutique Hotelier Awards. From the gardening team to the Hebridean Sea Safari team, Glenapp Castle is made up of true hospitality professionals who have all remained so determined, creative and positive in the face of the incredible difficulties we faced in the past year. It is such a tremendous achievement for our team and I feel very proud.”
This prestigious award is judged upon many factors, such innovation, hardwork and excellence and so it is great to see that the hotel has secured three shortlistings in the final of The Boutique Hotelier Awards.
