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Auchrannie, a family-owned resort on the Isle of Arran, has sooped the Scottish Hotel of the Year award at the Scottish Hotel Awards.
The resort was praised by judges for its year round occupancy rate of 90% on an island often described as ‘Scotland in miniature’.
Owned by the Johnston family which acquired it in 1988, Auchrannie has grown from a 16-bedroom guest house to now comprise of two four-star hotels with 64 rooms, 30 self-catering lodges, three restaurants, a shop, two leisure clubs with pools, a spa, an outdoor adventure centre and a childrens ‘playbarn’.
Damian Riley-Smith, managing director of the awards organiser Paragraph Publishing, said that Auchrannie is an “inspiring Scottish tourism success story.”
He said: “It is a creatively designed destination resort offering excellent accommodation, hospitality, leisure facilities and a luxury spa where guests of all ages can experience carefree relaxation and family fun for a true getaway island escape.”
The award was presented at a celebratory ‘party’ on Sunday (April 19) night in Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, attended by more than 500 hoteliers, staff and guests. Judging for the awards included three months of mystery visits in nine regions.
Last year’s Hotel of the Year, Cromlix, owned by tennis star Andy Murray and his family near Dunblane, was voted Luxury Hotel of the Year.
Other key winners included Ardanaiseig (Country House Hotel of the Year), Lake of Menteith Hotel (Small Country House Hotel of the Year), Shieldhill (Romantic Hotel of the Year) while Balbirnie at Markinch was named Best Wedding Hotel of the Year.
