Media Release: Balbirnie House is Bucking the Brexit Trends!

Balbirnie House Hotel, one of Fife’s premier hotel has announced its return to profit as the team pursues their goal of becoming Scotland’s first cashless hotel.

The award-winning Markinch hotel, saw turnover grow from £2.8 million in 2018, to £3m for the year ending April 30 2019, an increase of 8.3%.

Via The Courier: Luxury Fife hotel toasts success with profit boost

The Grade A listed hotel, which dates from the 18th century, moved from a pre-tax loss £76,491 in 2018, to a £124,007 profit in 2019.

These results have been achieved amongst some of the most challenging trading conditions ever experienced by Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Figures from VisitScotland have confirmed that the number of inbound visits to Scotland plunged by a staggering 35 per cent in the first quarter of 2019.

In the annual report for the hotel, managing director Nicholas Russell said the directors are “very happy indeed to see a return to profit in this financial year.”

He said: “As at winter 2019, the hotel is investing in the installation of a complete technological upgrade across the entire span of reservations systems and operations, the Directors feel this is a very significant step towards the stated aim of becoming Scotland’s first cashless hotel.” 

Via The Herald: Balbirnie back in black despite challenge of Brexit

A £45,000 sum is being invested in new Guestline technology, which will then pave the way to a completely new digitalised ecosystem, embracing innovation, evolution and brand new in-house marketing capabilities.

Via Hotel News Scotland: Balbirnie House aims to become Scotland’s first cashless hotel

The hotel is the recipient of numerous industry awards including 2018’s Global Best Destination Wedding Retreat, and 2019’s Global Best Destination Wedding Hotel via Haute Grandeur. Additionally, the hotel was named as Scotland’s 2019 Wedding Hotel of the Year via the Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards for the thirteenth time in fifteen years. Mr Russell says that the accumulated awards and all associated media coverage are a wonderful testament to hotel brigade teamwork, and have combined to strike a very emotive and resonant chord with prospective future wedding clients.

Via Hotel Owner: Balbirnie House Hotel returns to profit amid 8% turnover rise

Mr. Russell has expressed concern about the impact of Brexit, as well as the rising costs of the minimum wage. Speaking of the difficulties experienced throughout the hospitality sector, he has said; “due to Brexit, there will continue to be accelerating costs, and similarly and specifically stemming from Brexit, there is very significant general uncertainty in the UK hospitality and tourism sectors.

The directors are also saddened to see the loss of ability to employ EU nationals, as a significant proportion of company employees have always previously originated from within the EU.”

Staff numbers at the hotel have reduced from 115 in 2017, to 94 in 2018, and to 81 this year, with the stated aim of providing much more working hours to many fewer individuals, thereby reducing employee turnover and increasing consistency. These measures have been specifically taken because of the loss of EU nationals.

Wages and associated costs also fell from £1.27m in 2018 to £1.23m in 2019, a drop of 3.6%. Mr Russell said: “Looking ahead, core trade diaries continue to be excellent, and the directors remain fully committed to ensuring this equilibrium and status quo is successfully maintained. Based upon diarised trade, the directors envisage an ongoing and continued return to historic trade levels.”

Ends

Media Release via Lauren Dall/ Dall Communications

Via Boutique Hotelier: Balbirnie House Hotel returns to profit with 8% rise in turnover

BALBIRNIE HOUSE AND TESLA, A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP

CHARGE YOUR TESLA CARS WITH OUR COMPLIMENTS, AT BALBIRNIE HOUSE!

We’re absolutely delighted to confirm that we have now initiated a partnership with Tesla. 

First things first, we have installed two Tesla-specific charging stations in our front car park. These are roped off with red ropes, and are reserved exclusively for hotel guests who drive a Tesla, and wish to charge their cars. 

Balbirnie House will now be auto-mapped as a charging destination on the SatNav screens for all UK Tesla vehicles. The wonders of modern technology!  

Worth mentioning, we also have two further charging stations in our north car park, available for any other make of electric vehicle. 

Should you wish to acquire a Tesla, you can use our Balbirnie House referral code, to achieve 1,000 Free Supercharger Miles. In turn, with complimentary charging at Balbirnie House when visiting as a hotel guest, so long as we are providing this capability. 

Having committed many years ago, to doing all we can to reduce Balbirnie’s environmental footprints, we switched company vehicles back in 2015, to hybrid electric and petrol. In my case, a Mitsubishi PHEV. This gave 20 or so miles driving on electric, and then switched to petrol.

Our 2019 discussions with Tesla were initiated by two things. Firstly, recommendations on financial efficiency, which arose from our external auditor during annual accounts audit, when future-forecasting on cost-effectiveness. Secondly, on visiting Amsterdam’s Independent Hotel Show, arriving at Schiphol airport and finding that their entire fleet of 167 taxis, were a combination of Tesla Model S and X. Our taxi driver said, ‘Some of the cars have 300,000 kilometres on the clock, they still drive like new’. 

So our Mitsubishi was replaced a few months ago, with a fully electric entry level Tesla Model S 75. This is a modern era supercar, and I now write from the perspective of having covered 6,000 miles. 

Many years ago, and before 3 daughters arrived, I had the great pleasure of owning three Porsche 911’s in a row, so I can certainly reflect upon supercar performance. From a distance, there isn't much difference between a Porsche 911 (on the left) and our Tesla!

Over many recent years however, my personal car objective has primarily based around the needs of my children, and all their associated gear. 

My best car over the years pre dating 2015 with our children, was a wee Mitsubishi Colt, which delivered 65mpg. That car was sourced from a Fife garage forecourt, 'please point me to your most economical to run second hand car', after I had become totally disillusioned by emissions and fuel consumption from what I had purchased beforehand, a supposedly economical diesel Mercedes Jeep. The hotel brigade called the wee Mitsubishi 'The Hairdryer', because it had a tiny 1.1litre engine. I emblazoned its back bumper with a sticker which said, 'ZUMBA CHANGED MY WIFE!!!' - and you know what, we had such fun for years with that car. Kids jumping in after being at the beach, covered with sand? No problem! Dropped your ice cream on the car seat? Hakuna Matata! 

So, here we are in 2019. What’s our new Tesla like to drive? One word, incredible. Compared to a Porsche 911, it has 5 full adult seats versus 2 seats. It handles similarly, as if on tracks. It’s quieter, quicker, and has a huge boot for storage. As there's no engine under the front bonnet, there is refrigerated storage section instead, called a Frunk! And as supplied by arrangement with Lifetime Supercharging, this car will not cost a penny to charge, whenever using the network of Tesla superchargers. 

If I wished to do so today, I could input an address in southern France into the car’s SatNav, the car will then self-calculate the entire journey, based upon the Tesla Supercharger network, and it would not cost a single penny to get there. 

In Scotland, our nearest Superchargers (1 hr plugged in for full charge) are in Perth, Dundee and Edinburgh, so geographically irrelevant for daily practicality at Balbirnie House. 

When plugged in for a full 240 mile charge, it’ll take up to 4 hours at Balbirnie House, the cost from low to full charge, for illustrative purposes, is circa a tenner. The hotel will cover that convenience and cost for all Tesla drivers. We have 22Kw output, which means charge speeds of up to 48 miles per hour on the Model S.

Am I able to drive 240 miles on full charge? That’ll depend on how I drive, and on what roads I drive. From experience, motorway cruising speeds can reduce the stated distance. 

Our Tesla Model S model is actually now discontinued, and the two S versions now available are significantly more expensive, but both provide scope for greater distance, at 367 miles, to 379 miles respectively. Bear in mind, all car manufacturers calculate such distances using testing methodology which involves lower speeds, flat roads, and so on. 

The top model, in Ludicrous mode, has acceleration which defies belief. Drum roll please, ... for the world's fastest 5 seat saloon car. Such performance would previously only be available for a tiny proportion of world buyers, willing to purchase an extreme and exorbitant sports car. 

On the point of acceleration, if I may so bold as to say so from a practical perspective, that level of acceleration is perhaps more befitted to a race track!

The car continually improves. This is via ongoing WiFi downloads of software updates. 

For sure, acquiring and funding the vehicle at outset is a considerable proposition, however depending on how you intend using it, and when comparing a 5 year running cost to a normal 5 seat family saloon, it’s certainly worth doing the math!

And for company car drivers, as our auditor was especially keen to point out, that effective from the financial year 2020/ 21 – the car’s Benefit in Kind tax, drops to … Zero! Before then seemingly beginning to gradually increase again. 

Instead of myself writing in detail about what it’s like to live with our Tesla, here’s a truly great explainer. A cartoonist’s review of his magical space car.

What do I personally love about the car? Basically, everything. 

 But most especially? 

-       Fold down the back seats, and the space easily fits two bikes. 

- If it’s a cold winter’s day, 10 minutes before you drive, use the App to pre-warm the car, its steering wheel, and its seats. 

-       Cruise control, you can alter settings so that your Tesla automatically sits a set multiple of lengths behind a slower car in front, then automatically speeds up when the car in front has speeded up or moved over. Very relaxed motorway driving. 

-       The car has permanent 4 wheel drive road-holding, with suspension which can be raised. 

-       A gigantic sliding glass sunroof. 

Soon after we acquired our Tesla, the manufacturer released their new and significantly less expensive Model 3 in the UK. This has entry level pricing at £38,500 for the 254 mile version – and this introduction seems to be a further conclusive point, whereby electric has perhaps now overtaken previous conventional car power, at mass market capability.

Tesla Model 3 vs BMW 3 Series: electric car vs diesel showdown

You can also use Balbirnie’s referral code when acquiring one of these Model 3 cars, to achieve 1,000 Free Supercharger Miles, and complimentary charging at Balbirnie House when visiting as a hotel guest. As stated, hotel charging is to be provided for as long as we can justify the ongoing partnership, which will be benchmarked by the numbers of hotel guests who use the charging station. 

Our Tesla Model S looks to me like a fairly conventional 5 seat family car. 

From a distance, maybe you could mistake it for a Mazda 6 2.5 GT Sport, like the one below, or any other similar looking car? 

But that's certainly not how Scotland's youngsters see it. Adults mostly tend to see the Tesla just as another car, but the reactions from youngsters is very different indeed. When driving, you can see one youngster after another gesturing to their pals, mouths wide open, 'OMG THAT'S A TESLA!!!' 

As a company that doesn't advertise, apparently doesn't need to advertise, with a client base who (as I am myself writing this today) willingly recommending the vehicles, someone, somehow, somewhere within Tesla, has done something to totally hook into the imagination of today's Scotland youngsters. 

And as Scotland is clearly 'the Saudia Arabia of renewal energy', with green energy driving more and more future electric vehicles, Tesla is certainly at the revolutionary forefront of that delivery today. 

And Balbirnie House is of course absolutely delighted to be involved. 

Many thanks, safe driving one and all,

Nicholas Russell / MD Balbirnie House 

PS Watch out for Tesla unveiling their new pickup truck, 21.11.2019, apparently 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds, over 400 miles charge distance. 

'Best Wedding Destination Hotel, on the planet'

Haute Grandeur global hotel awards, 2019 global winner: Best Destination Wedding Hotel 

Before heading to Malaysia, we introduced 'The Balbirnie Six', representing our hotel brigade past and present: 

From Facebook 3.11.2019

Two weeks onwards, and now that the dust has begun to settle ... 

I would like to dedicate the Balbirnie House 2019 Haute Grandeur global award for 'Best Destination Wedding Hotel', to the boys, girls, men and women, who have made up our hotel brigade over the 3 decades. Personal thanks to every single individual who has contributed on our hotel journey. 

Thank you to everyone for the absolutely incredible support we saw during the 2019 summer 'Rate Us' campaign, all the messages when the Balbirnie six were heading to Malaysia, and for everything that has subsequently happened. It has been profoundly humbling for our brigade today, to be on the receiving end of so many heartfelt messages. 

The global hotel accolade is a very significant new aspect for our brigade to live up to now and onwards, and that's simply the joy of future Scotland Hospitality. Now more than ever before, we'll continue driving ahead with all that we do. 

With gratitude and best wishes to one and all,
Nicholas / MD Balbirnie House 

Quite surreal newspaper headlines: 

This Scottish hotel has been named the best destination wedding hotel on the planet

A Scottish hotel has been named the best wedding venue on earth

Balbirnie House named World’s Best Destination Wedding Hotel Last Night

Fife venue named world's Best Destination Wedding Hotel

Fife hotel named World’s Best Destination Wedding venue at global awards ceremony

Scottish Hotel named best destination wedding hotel in prestigious international award

FIFE HOTEL TAKES GLOBAL TITLE FOR DESTINATION WEDDING HOTEL

The journey to Malaysia took us almost 24 hours. 

Arrival: 

On the day of the awards ceremony, 9am Scotland, 4pm Malaysia - as agreed with Steven McEwan (Balbirnie's groom that day), we would have a run together. So we hooked up on FaceTime, and off we went. For myself it was 33 degrees, breaking into a thunder storm with monsoon rain, most refreshing! And what were the chances of running in Kuala Lumpur's beautiful Perdana botanical gardens, and meeting the only other guy with a matching Scotland head scarf!!! This most charming Malaysian man had visited Scotland and walked The West Highland Way. 

At 6pm, a glass of bubbly for The Balbirnie Six, and off to the awards dinner. 

I was the only individual at the awards dinner, with a laptop computer! 

Balbirnie's media liaison Lauren Dall was on standby back home. 

Lovely to be interviewed before the meal: 

The Ballroom in The St Regis hotel is the first hotel Ballroom to feature in-built surround LED HDR screens, it was totally surreal seeing Balbirnie House appear on the world stage. 

And then we were invited onstage: 

So the news broke with a first Facebook post at 3pm Scotland time, on Saturday 19th October 2019: 

Blue smoke from Balbirnie's chimney, with quite surreal circumstances on the roof of Balbirnie House, with Chewbacca and piper Rich Gordon. Sincere thanks to Andrew Glen and Maddison Productions for the ultra HDR drone camera work. 

Following the onstage announcement in Malaysia.
A Telegram was sent immediately to @BalbirnieHouse on the news of ‘Best Destination Wedding Hotel’, @HauteGrandeur 2019 global winner.
Celebratory champagne, which was on standby, was served to all wedding guests, and with the very kind permission of the bride and groom, all hotel brigade on duty were also invited to assemble in our Millennium Ballroom for a commemorative toast. 🍾🥂
The toast itself, was delivered over the PA system, by MC David Murray. ‘The past, the present day, and the future!’
Congratulations to Steven and Suzi McEwan, wishing you every Happiness for the future 🥰 Memories of a Lifetime 🥰
Image via @LifetimePhoto1 

2 hours later Scotland went live with an 18 minute Balbirnie House commemorative film clip. This had been prepared to soon acknowledge Balbirnie's 3 decades as a hotel, and adapted to include the global award news, all as part and parcel of what we had prepared and left on media standby in Scotland. 

From judges of The Scottish Hotel awards:

To former Balbirnie House colleagues: 

Over the course of the 2019 summer Rate Us campaign, and the few days before during and after the Haute Grandeur awards night, our Facebook alone saw over 300,000 related impressions. 

In passing, to this date, nobody has even mentioned Chewbacca to myself, perhaps so surreal that nobody knows what to say! 

And on that note, we are straight back to work! A 21st Century Kilt, on an 18th century backdrop, with a 21st century red carpet. 

First day back, thought I'd bring The Lucky Golden Tie (original) out of retirement. First weekend back we were visited by 14 prospective future wedding clients. 

And so, to the past, the present day and the future. 

An incredible result for Scotland's Hospitality sector, much for us to live up to, and we look forward to embracing the challenges ahead. 

My gratitude to one and all, 

Nicholas