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HOSPITALITY ASSURED
The Glenfinnan House Hotel team proudly display the Hospitality Assured certificate and plaque. Pictured sitting at the back, left to right are: Ana Maria Llorens, Assistant Manager; and Sine Gibson, the daughter of Managers Duncan & Manja; Standing left to right: Martin Whyte, Barman; and Manja Gibson, Manager. Sitting left-right are Shaun McDonald, Commis Chef; and Duncan Gibson, Head Chef/Manager
June 2007
Scotland’s Award-winning Glenfinnan House Hotel Gains Hospitality Assured
The award-winning 13-bedroom Glenfinnan House Hotel at Glenfinnan – on the shores of Loch Shiel, near Fort William – has gained Hospitality Assured. The historic 18th century mansion was bought in 1971 by the current owners, the MacFarlane family, who subsequently converted it into the Glenfinnan House Hotel.
The hotel’s managers – husband and wife team: Duncan and Manja Gibson – were delighted to have achieved Hospitality Assured. In so doing, the Glenfinnan House Hotel joins an elite band of organisations that have achieved Hospitality Assured in Scotland. These include The Town House Company – a collection of privately owned luxury Edinburgh hotels that include The Bonham, The Howard, Channings and The Edinburgh Residence; and the award winning Jacobite Experience Loch Ness. VisitScotland is currently in the process of being the first ever national tourist board to attempt to achieve Hospitality Assured. In England, the list includes the 5-star Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London; and Searcy at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.
Commenting on awarded Hospitality Assured accreditation, Duncan Gibson, said: “Being awarded Hospitality Assured demonstrates that the significant contribution all the hotel’s team have made over the years to making the Glenfinnan House Hotel the success it is today as a ‘home from home in the Highlands’. Hospitality Assured has given us the framework within which we can strive to continually improve our levels of customer service and business excellence. Indeed it has proved to be a great morale boost for all the staff.
“The great thing about Hospitality Assured is that it gives you an invaluable independent outside perspective of your business – making you think beyond the box. It is so easy to become blinkered and we have learned so much from the Hospitality Assured assessment about our business – such as the need to blow our own trumpet more and create a wider customer base, and monitor closely what our rivals are doing so we can always aim to be ahead of the competition in a highly competitive marketplace.”
The Glenfinnan House Hotel itself is no stranger to garnering accolades. Manager and head chef Duncan Gibson and his kitchen brigade have been nominated for the 2007 UKtv Food Local Hero awards; and was a winner in the 2006 Sensationally Scottish Awards, as well as being runner-up in the 2006 Scottish Hotel Bar Food Award and the 2005 Small Scottish Hotel of the Year Award. It has also been written up in the 2006 Good Food Guide; and has been in the Good Hotel Guide every year since 2004. In addition, the hotel has been highly commended in Peter Irvine’s independent ‘Scotland the Best’ guide; and is a member of the Scottish Beef Club, which guarantees that the hotel only serves beef that is 100% Scottish.