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.”
Chairman & Deputy-Chairman
The Scottish Hotel Awards Committee