More online
www.thecaterer.com
Jill Chalmers
“While the previous owners did a fabulous job, Paul wanted to take it to a different level”
and Skibo Castle, and at the time Glenapp was operating at around 28% occupancy. “While the previous owners did a fabulous
job, Paul wanted to take it to a different level,” explains Chalmers. Part of the challenge was the location –
Ayrshire isn’t necessarily top of the bucket list for tourists heading straight to Edinburgh and the Highlands. Getting Glenapp on that list meant raising awareness and a focus on dis- tribution channels. “Were we talking to the right agents, the right
online companies? Who didn’t know about us and how were we going to get them to know about us?” were the questions facing Chalmers. Critical to making Glenapp an attractive desti- nation, she stresses, has been the venue’s activi- ties and experiences programme.
www.thecaterer.com
“Why do people come to Glenapp? Why do
people come to this area? We thought, we need to make it easy for them and give them a lot of things to do and see while they’re here,” she explains.
Endeavour to succeed The hotel now has a portfolio of 70 activities and experiences on offer, from trips to Ailsa Craig or the Isle of Arran to sea eagle fishing, getting up close with Highland cows, tours of the Bladnoch Distillery and beekeeping with the estate’s resident beekeeper. “That’s been a big part of our positioning
of Glenapp, not just as a lovely place to come for dinner, bed and breakfast, but a great Scot- tish experience – more like a destination,” says Chalmers. The diamond in its collection of activities
is the Hebridean Sea Safari, which has been a particular revenue driver for the hotel. The multi-night rib boat adventure along the Scot- tish West Coast includes islands, castles and an ancient monastery, glamping on the island of Jura, and dinner under the stars cooked by a private chef. It’s also a chance to see wildlife – Atlantic seals, basking sharks, dolphins and
15 September 2023 | The Caterer | 25
▲
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
