Luxury Hotelier - February 2008 - (Page 28)

28| Properties CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 Gleneagles in December after a three-year hiatus (see sidebar for more detail). “People absolutely want great experiences that are unique to them and are less so looking for a package that we put together,” he says. Gleneagles might be known for its golf courses, but Mr. Murphy says golf is far from the hotel’s most popular activity. In addition to the year-old gun dog school, the hotel also offers such sports as clay pigeon shooting, off-road driving, horseback riding and falconry. “Our habitat and our environment are some of our biggest attractions,” says Mr. Murphy (see sidebar for more on Gleneagles’ environmental initiatives). “Our guests come here to learn something. They want an enriching experience so that they go away knowing something they didn’t when they arrived.” Another lure of the property for both guests and locals is Gleneagles’ dining options, especially Andrew Fairlie, the only two-star Michelin restaurant in Scotland. Alan Hill, Gleneagles’ food-and-beverage director, brought Mr. Fairlie, a friend from Mr. Hill’s days at the U.K.’s Academy of Culinary Arts, on board. Since its inception in 2001, the benefits of the restaurant have been three-fold: It helps boost sales, allows customers to enjoy an alternative style of dining, and created a new activity at the hotel—a behind-the-scenes look at how a Michelinstarred kitchen operates. The restaurant has proved so popular, it now requires reservations be made months in advance. Bringing Mr. Fairlie into the mix also allowed for Gleneagles’ other restaurants to become more firmly rooted in Scottish culinary history. “We were overstretching ourselves before,” Mr. Hill says. “This gave us a great consistency in the product. We honed in on the details and have trained our people to cook in those manners.” Gleneagles also houses The Strathearn, a smart-casual restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; The Dormy Clubhouse, featuring British food in a casual atmosphere; and the newly opened Deseo, an informal Mediterranean food market. Deseo features an adults-only alcove, which Mr. Hill says has been so successful that he’s looking to implement it in the hotel’s other restaurants. As the hotel grows, Mr. Hill says he will look at creating drop-off points throughout the property—unexpected places guests can stop for a casual drink or snack. With the Ryder Cup coming up in 2014, The Dormy Clubhouse also is looking at a revamp in the coming months. Despite having just completed an $11million renovation, Gleneagles is scheduled for more changes in 2008. Mr. Murphy says he’s looking to bring service up yet another level this year and remodel outside areas to prepare for the Ryder Cup. “We intend to be ready years before instead of months before,” he says. Mr. Lederer is as equally forward thinking. “We’ve just made this big investment and we’re going to make sure we get a return on that investment, but a lot of 2008’s focus is going to be a continued development of the values of our people, and we’re always looking for new services and facilities to surprise the customer and add to the experience,” he says. “That’s what separates us from the competition.” — He’s a Renaissance man hat landed General Manager Bernard Murphy at Gleneagles Hotel the first time around was his hotel experience. What made the property ask him back for a second stint was his wealth of experience across several service-related industries. After studying in England and working in London at what is now The Churchill Hyatt, as well as the Millennium Mayfair, Mr. Murphy got the opportunity to join Gleneagles as front-of-house manger. From there, he held a variety of roles at the hotel before departing to lead facilities management for the Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh, then moving on to managing front-of-house and catering services for Compass Group, RBS’s chosen food services company in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Then, last spring, Gleneagles restructured, promoting Peter Lederer from managing director to chairman and choosing then-General Manager Patrick Elsmie to fill the managing director post, leaving the position of general manager open for the taking. “I think what the resort was looking for was a diversity of experience,” Mr. Murphy says of Gleneagles asking him to step into the role. “The last two or three years here there have been a lot of construction at the hotel, and in the background, there’s been a lot of work done on the values and culture of the organization,” Mr. Murphy says. “That doesn’t manifest itself in a product, so really now we’re coming to the end of this significant period of internal redevelopment.” — J.M. InfoConcierge Owner: Diageo Management: Peter Lederer, chairman; Patrick Elsmie, managing director; Bernard Murphy, general manager Guestrooms: 232 rooms, 26 suites Staff: about 700 Year opened: 1924 Average rate: $700 Customer mix: 55 percent leisure; 45 percent corporate Affiliations: Leading Hotels of the World, Great Golf Resorts of the World, Connoisseurs Scotland, Quality Scotland Foundation W » FOR MORE INFORMATION: ESPA: www.espaonline.com Charter Institute of Management: www.managers.org.uk Perthshire Big Tree Country: www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk VisitScotland: www.visitscotland.com Luxury Hotelier | February 2008 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.espaonline.com http://www.managers.org.uk http://www.perthshirebigtreecountry.co.uk http://www.visitscotland.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

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Luxury Hotelier - February 2008

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