Apex Hotels has won the Sustainable Business Award at last week Springboard Awards in London after demonstrating “a long term, companywide commitment to sustainable practices and policies which shone above the rest.”  The hotel group was up against The Hilton, Leonardo Hotels, Sodexo and Wilson Vale who were also on the shortlist. Apex said that the group has put in place “a comprehensive Carbon Plan designed to propel the organisation to NetZero and has committed over £1 million to reducing carbon emissions. The initiative has already yielded some impressive results including recycling 6 ..read more

Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa is has appointed Coalin Finn as the resort’s new Executive Chef. Coalin will head up all kitchen functions across the resort’s eight restaurants and bars, including 3 AA Rosette Awarded Road Hole Restaurant and golf’s most famous pub – the Jigger Inn. Coalin joins the hotel from previous experiences in Michelin starred kitchens and 5-star hotels. While he most recently worked as Exec Chef role at Claridge’s hotel in London, he has trained under chefs like Daniel Humm and Claude Bosi. Having grown up in Kilkenny, Ireland, Coalin initially trained as a pas ..read more

Trocadero’s is to be the name of the new restaurant concept at Crossbasket Castle which will open in August with Michelin star chef Michel Roux Jr overseeing the restaurant and cocktail bar. The name is a nod to the celebrated 1950s dance hall in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, of the same name. Owners Steve and Alison Timoney, who describe Crossbasket Castle as a no-expense-spared passion project, said Trocadero’s will bring a unique offering to Scotland, with live music and entertainment every night of the week. Steve Timoney said, “We took inspiration from Glasgow’s legendary live music scene ..read more

Apex Hotels have joined the charity Room to Reward and will donate breaks in unsold rooms to nominated volunteers from the charity sector and means that the Group’s properties in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee – as well as London and Bath –  will be welcoming volunteers from charities, community groups, grassroots sports clubs and other organisations across the U.K. for a well-earned break. “We are extremely proud and happy to join Room to Reward,” said Angela Vickers, CEO of Apex Hotels. “It’s a simple thing for hotels to be a part of and a great way of putting our unsold rooms to good us ..read more

Leading hotel experience curators, LA BOTTEGA have announced the acquisition of a majority stake in VANITY GROUP marking a significant milestone in the growth and expansion of both organisations. The acquisition means that, together, LA BOTTEGA and VANITY GROUP have representation in over 120 Countries, boast a combined team of over 500 people, and over 100 of the most in demand, progressive brands with a list of global luxury hospitality clients. Recognising and respecting the unique strengths that VANITY GROUP brings to the table, the acquisition sees LA BOTTEGA leveraging the team’s combine ..read more

With a multi-million-pound renovation underway, Align Partners, on behalf of Dutco, continues the repositioning of Mar Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort into a luxury five-star Scottish destination with the appointment of a team of senior industry experts across the resort. The luxury Scottish five-star resort has appointed a new Executive Head Chef, Head Pastry Chef, Head Concierge, Head of Maintenance, Head of Golf, and Head Greenkeeper. Executive Head Chef Tony Tapia joins the hotel with a wealth of experience having worked in several 3 AA Rosette restaurants, and alongside industry icons ..read more

The Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh is set to receive a multi-million-pound transformation as it get’s ready to re-brand, becoming part of Curio Collection by Hilton this summer, joining a global portfolio of prestigious lifestyle hotels. Having acquired the 120-year old Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, known as ‘The Caley’, in July 2023, private real estate investment fund manager Henderson Park and asset manager Klarent Hospitality have announced plans to invest over £35 million. The plans include extending the hotel to expand its capacity to over 300 rooms by early 2026, making The Caley one of Edi ..read more

The Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) has appointment Rebecca Brooks as the new Chair of the organisation, succeeding Stephen Leckie who has recently been appointed Chair of VisitScotland. Rebecca Brooks, Managing Director of Abbey UK, and a Director/Owner of the Abbey Group has been a leading figure in the Scottish tourism industry for more than two decades. Rebecca has served as Vice Chair of the STA since October 2022 and has been and non-executive Director of the Scottish Tourism Alliance since 2010, served as a non-executive Director on the VisitScotland board from 2015-2022 and was recentl ..read more

Dunkeld House Hotel, part of the Crerar Hotels collection, has appointed Hervé Bernier as its General Manager marking a return for him to the hotel where he spent a long period of his early career. He joins from Hotel du Vin in St Andrews where he was General Manager for seven years. Hervé takes the helm from hospitality veteran Paul Leitch who has been acting as Interim General Manager at the hotel since it joined the Crerar Hotels collection in November 2023. Hervé has a rich history with Dunkeld House Hotel having worked there for a long period of his early career, starting as Chef de Rang ..read more

Plans to build a new four-storey 12-bedroom hotel and two short-term rental flats in the car park of the Canny Man’s Morningside pub have been given the go-ahead by the City of Edinburgh Council. The car park on Canaan Lane lies between the pub, its beer garden, and the Lane Hotel- which is already owned by the Canny Man’s owners, Kerr Pubs and Hotels. According to the design statement, this space is “sacrificial in relation to current use and deemed the best location to consider a new building” because the pub customers don’t travel to the Canny Man’s by car. The new hotel is expected to have ..read more