Scottish Hospitality for Heroes Weekend
A leading Scottish hotel group welcomed over 380 NHS key workers and their families to its venues last weekend to say thank you for all of their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crerar Hotels dedicated all rooms across its portfolio of seven hotels in Nairn, Oban, Inverurie, Isle of Mull, Inveraray, Glencoe and Royal Deeside.
This amounted to approximately 850 guests and 2000 complimentary overnight stays from the 14th to the 16thof August. Crerar Hotels is the first independently owned Scottish hotel group to host an initiative of this kind.
The guests were chosen following a public nomination process for the ‘Scottish Hospitality for NHS Heroes’ initiative which resulted in thousands of nominations for NHS Heroes, and has resulted in upwards of £250,000 spent by the hotel group to express gratitude to the frontline workers of COVID-19.
Over the weekend, the guests enjoyed champagne, locally sourced food and drink and even private boat trips hosted by Crerar Chairman Paddy Crerar CBE.
The NHS Heroes were welcomed across the Crerar Venues to an encore of thanks from the venue’s team and local communities. At Oban Bay Hotel, the Esplanade saw pipers welcome the guests, who enjoyed welcome drinks on the Hotel’s Sea Deck. At Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa, the heroes were greeted with a colourful rainbow display from the children of Inveraray who were armed with pots and pans as they clapped for their carers.
Chris Wayne Wills, CEO of Crerar Hotels, said:
“We were so pleased to welcome over 380 NHS heroes and their families from across Scotland for a weekend of celebrations. It was great to see them all relax and have a good time.
“All seven of our hotels, from Nairn to Oban, threw open their doors in honour of the incredible key workers, who continue to put themselves on the front line, day in and day out.
“I and the Crerar Hotels team were lucky enough to meet many of these courageous workers face to face and personally thank them for all of their work.”
Each guest also received a personal note of thanks in their room from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The First Minister said: “Our Scottish NHS workers have been our first line of defence against COVID-19 and we are all in their debt. It’s heartening to see that despite all the current economic challenges in hospitality, Crerar Hotels have still found time to reflect the debt of gratitude we all feel. Gifting all of their hotels for a free weekend to say thank you to our NHS Heroes is very big gesture, well done to Scottish Hospitality.”
Crerar Hotels was founded in 2005 by Paddy Crerar CBE. The collection included five luxury hotels and two inns. Each of the seven properties prides itself on its unique personality which is inspired by its location and history. The portfolio comprises of Balmoral Arms (formerly Deeside Inn), Ballater, The Glencoe Inn & Gathering, Glencoe, Golf View, Nairn, Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa, Craignure, Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa, Inveraray, Oban Bay Hotel, Oban and Thainstone House, Inverurie.
Crerar Hotels are also well known for their unique approach to community . More than half of the company distributable profits are gifted annually to local causes and charities through their Crerar Trust which is chaired by Paddy Crerar CBE.
