Balbirnie House on 2019 shortlist, Global category, 'Best Destination Wedding Hotel'

An email to colleagues:

Dear colleagues, 

Following last year’s incredible result for Balbirnie, our local community, Fife, and Scotland hospitality, with Balbirnie being defined as 2018’s Haute Grandeur Global winner, ‘Best Destination Wedding Retreat’, we were subsequently very honoured to be asked to submit a 2019 Rate Us campaign. 

The category for 2019, is ‘Best Destination Wedding Hotel’. It is quite incredible to make that shortlist. Let’s consider for a moment, that there are 187,000 hotels in the world.

If the unthinkable is to happen (again!!!) this year, then that definition is defined in the context of hotels, therefore career-defining for those who have contributed over the many years of what we do.

The 2019 Rate Us campaign ran a few weeks ago, we will deliver stats in due course.

(In context, the 2018 campaign was seen by over 100,000 people here in Scotland alone.)

On behalf of all at Balbirnie, our gratitude firstly to Sarah Rees for all ongoing progressive dialogue with Haute Grandeur, over the entire 4 years.

Secondly, to Christine Cunningham for orchestrating the success of both of the annual Rate Us public campaigns.

I can now confirm today, that Haute Grandeur have been in contact once again with MD Balbirnie.

We are invited once again, and for the fourth annual time in a row, to represent Scotland’s hospitality sector, at the 2019 global awards. Underlined, this is by invitation only. 

Gaynor and I are invited to represent Balbirnie’s brigade past and present. Furthermore, we have also been advised that there is a very special additional offer from Haute Grandeur, and scope to view attendance, from the perception of representations from additional members of Balbirnie’s brigade, with very specific and pertinent examples given, as those who are always closest to our clients, during the entire client journey. As we know, our special events and wedding planning processes can take place with clients, over the course of very comprehensive and absolutely personal involvement over multiple years. Especially for 2019, in the category for which Balbirnie is on shortlist, as that entire substance begins and ends, directly with wedding planning.

On that basis, representing Balbirnie’s brigade since 1989 inception until the present date, will be:

Nicholas and Gaynor, Sarah, Christine and Leah. Additionally, with Balbirnie’s gratitude over many years, Gaynor and I have also invited departed Operations Manager Erdal Ozer to join us, as a celebration of all success and accumulated history, in the role of Balbirnie’s Operations Manager. 

Appreciated, unique for a company to make such a suggestion for a 2 month departed member of the brigade, but such is the capability for our company directors to make unique decisions. My personal thanks as well to Erdal, seeing Erdal receive the award for Scotland’s Young Hotelier of the Year, and subsequently seeing how many young people he has inspired within hospitality at Balbirnie, has been inspiration and lessons for us all, because in these regards every single day is a school day.

As a hotelier, being able to walk the 2019 red carpet with current colleagues and also with Erdal (probably as the only 2 guys in Malaysia to be wearing kilts), it’s such an honour for all attending, to be able to represent Scotland hospitality. 

In a further celebration of Scotland hospitality, which will subsequently deploy in MD capacity for meeting new clients, a commemorative contemporary kilt has been commissioned from Edinburgh’s 21^st century kilts.

We attend 2019 Haute Grandeur, on the basis of representing the near 3,000 people who have worked at Balbirnie, since opening as a hotel in 1989.

We also attend with such sincere gratitude for the existence of The Scottish Hotel Awards scheme, and all involved therein, who have personally offered Balbirnie their time in evaluating what we do, and encouraging all ongoing progressive innovation and evolution. The substance of achieving Scotland’s Wedding Hotel of the Year 12 times, was what led to what happened last year, as Haute Grandeur’s research is unable to define any other hotel in the world, to have achieved anything similar in their own country’s hotel awards rating schemes. Today, Balbirnie is now the 13 time recipient of the Scotland award, the case is therefore made even stronger.

We will now deploy Balbirnie’s marketing awareness and capability, in similar contexts to last year, with Dall Communications in preparation, and on standby. The global awards night is 19^th October, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysia is 7 hours ahead of Scotland. So, we can guess that results might be announced and then placed into public domain 2pm – 3pm Scotland time. 

Given the remarkable circumstances of seeing Blue Smoke from Balbirnie’s main chimney last year, we will prepare to potentially need to repeat this. 

Following the 2018 result and all media coverage, our wedding planning department dealt with absolutely unprecedented incoming enquiries over the following 4 months. Our Special Events diaries reflect that today.

Reflecting back on 2018, the evolution of the offer within today’s 23,000 words of wedding literature, began 8am the morning after the Haute Grandeur awards night, and it’s great to see these new components phasing through what we offer today. Thanks again to Christine specifically, for all that has gone into that contemplation. As always, we acknowledge where we’ve come from, always seeking to find new ways to work, without losing sight of where we’ve come from. So, let’s keep on doing what we’re doing. 

This email will also copy as a new article on Balbirnie’s Blog.

Whilst writing today, congratulations to Gaynor with the new East Room refurbishment, such a beautiful further area for guests, and for meeting our prospective new future clients.

Our thanks to Executive Chef Oscar Sinjorgo, for all that’s gone into developing 2019’s provisions across all that we do.

Our thanks to Duncan Hogg, grounds looking amazing as always, and *watch this space*, Duncan and I are working on a very special project to celebrate the 2018 award, with a new pavilion, a recreation of the original in The Sound of Music film. 

Best wishes to one and all. And Congratulations again on making the 2019 shortlist.

Writing today, a very special further thanks to Christine, for all work that’s gone into creating the collection of Memories, as Behind The Lens 3 has now gone live, and will gradually phase into today’s client journey. 

When we’d finished editing in our Technical Room last week, my own thoughts on the edit, - it’s a realisation of the depth of what we deliver in terms of ‘Memories are Made of This’.

Onwards we go!

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House

1992 - present

Malaysia 2019: