Angus hotel celebrates TripAdvisor ‘500’ milestone after £1m investment

One of Angus’s leading hotels is celebrating more than 500 customer reviews in five years on world-renowned travel website TripAdvisor.

The Glenesk Hotel and Conference Centre in Edzell was bought by husband and wife Dylan and Alena Wren in 2012, who have since overseen the completion of an extensive £1m refurbishment programme.

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Since the change in ownership, visitors to the iconic 38-bedroom Victorian property have left hundreds of positive comments commending the hotel for its level of quality.

In addition, the Glenesk Hotel has been ranked first by travellers on the website’s list of hotels in Angus for almost the past four years.

The investment by the new owners led to the hotel’s elevation to four-star status, as awarded by Scotland’s national tourism organisation, Visit Scotland, and the securing of a Taste Our Best accreditation in recognition of the venue’s commitment to providing locally-sourced, quality food and drink.

In recent weeks, both these prestigious awards have been retained following an overnight stay by a VisitScotland inspector, based on their overall experience of the hotel and the quality of its food.

As part of this process, The Glenesk Hotel scored extremely highly for guest feedback, including 100% on the hospitality and friendliness section of the report. It also scored highly for its standard of food, cleanliness, service and efficiency.

Dylan Wren, co-proprietor at the Glenesk Hotel and Conference Centre, said: “It’s credit to all our people, from front of house to the restaurant staff, that we have developed a reputation as one of the best hotels around.

“When Alena and I first took over the hotel, it had some of the worst reviews in Angus to be brutally honest. The fact we have breathed new life into the hotel and, more importantly, maintained our standards shows the importance of listening to customer feedback at all times.”

TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site and operates in 48 markets worldwide. It offers advice on services and facilities such as restaurants and hotels from millions of travellers and records an average of 350 million monthly unique visitors.

Martin Mcilrath, general manager at the Glenesk Hotel and Conference Centre, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised by such a respected body as TripAdvisor and would like to take this opportunity to thank every single guest who has taken the time to leave positive comments and constructive feedback.

“Consistency is one of the hardest things to achieve in the hospitality industry; therefore, the fact that the hotel has remained at number one for the past four years is a tremendous accomplishment and provides clear evidence that our decision to focus on quality continues to pay off.”

Built in 1896, The Glenesk Hotel prides itself on retaining the building’s original, classic charm and successfully marrying it with modern additions such as conference and leisure facilities. It also features a well-stocked bar boasting over 1,000 whiskies, 400 gins, 80 rums, 70 vodkas and a large selection of bottled ales.

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