Scotland’s Gleneagles hotel has the art of hospitality down to a fine art – and that’s official.
The luxury hotel, spa and golf resort has been named the hotel with the best service in the world in the prestigious The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards 2023.
The hotel, which lies beneath the Ochil Hills in the heart of Perthshire, has been bestowed the ‘Art of Hospitality’ award based on a vote by 580 hoteliers, travel writers, consultants and seasoned luxury travellers who were asked to name the property where they have received the single-best hospitality experience during a two-year period.
The judges took into account the ‘ambience created in the hotel, the delivery of unique experiential elements and the overall warmth of the hospitality and environment’.
This coveted award ‘celebrates a hotel’s outstanding service and attention to detail’ and is designed ‘to reward a property and its entire staff for the professional standards they uphold and the way they interact with guests, from the reception desk to housekeeping and its food and beverage teams’.
Scotland’s famous Gleneagles (above) has been named the hotel with the best service in the world by the prestigious The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards 2023
The luxury hotel, spa and golf resort lies beneath the Ochil Hills in the heart of Perthshire
Gleneagles was given the ‘Art of Hospitality’ award based on a vote by 580 hoteliers, travel writers, consultants and seasoned luxury travellers who were asked to name the property where they have received the single-best hospitality experience during a two-year period. Above is the Gleneagles team
Tripadvisor reviewers agree with the judges’ verdict. User ‘CLP’ recently branded the service ‘delightful’ while ‘Mimi A’ said it was ‘outstanding’. Reviewer ‘Christopher W’, meanwhile, wrote: ‘This hotel is truly magical! The level of service is second to none.’
Gleneagles first opened in 1924 with a grand opening ball and, because of the beauty of its location, was soon nicknamed the ‘Riviera in the Highlands’ and the ‘eighth wonder of the world’.
It has been a ‘must-go destination for discerning travellers for nearly a century’, a statement from the awards notes, adding: ‘A playground of country pursuits and activities, the 850-acre estate epitomises the natural beauty for which Scotland is famed.’
In 2015, Ennismore, a London-based owner and developer of hospitality properties and experiences, purchased the hotel and launched a four-year renovation programme, the biggest investment in the hotel’s history.
Post transformation, now the hotel boasts 11 different restaurants and bars including an afternoon tea lounge and the only two-Michelin-star restaurant in Scotland, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie.
On top of that, there are children’s adventure spaces; a beauty lodge; spa and wellness facilities and 232 ‘beautiful’ bedrooms and suites.
‘Its three golf courses are considered some of the best in the world, with one hosting the Ryder Cup in 2014,’ a statement notes.
Pictured is the Century Bar at the hotel, which opened its doors to guests back in 1924
A nod to the beauty of its location, the hotel was dubbed the ‘Riviera in the Highlands’ after it opened
Above is a ‘children’s adventure space’ at the hotel. A four-year renovation programme was launched at the property in 2015
Gleneagles has been a ‘must-go destination for discerning travellers for nearly a century’, a statement from the awards notes
One of the spa treatment spaces at the hotel. When awarding the property, the judges took into account the ‘ambience created in the hotel’
Guests can also enjoy a programme of ‘country pursuits’ that includes everything from falconry and clay pigeon shooting, to fly fishing and horse riding.
Naturally, rooms at the five-star hotel don’t come cheap, with rates starting from £495 a night.
Gleneagles’ win is the first of two special awards to be announced in the weeks leading up to The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023 awards ceremony, which is taking place on September 19 at London’s historic Guildhall municipal building.
At the ceremony, the inaugural ‘World’s 50 Best Hotels’ list will be unveiled.
Commenting on Gleneagles’ win, Tim Brooke-Webb, Managing Director for The World’s 50 Best Hotels, says: ‘Gleneagles has been a mainstay on the hotel scene since its original iteration in 1924 and continues to prove itself as an example of what it means to be truly hospitable.
Gleneagles’ three golf courses are considered some of the best in the world, a statement notes
Guests can enjoy a programme of ‘country pursuits’ that includes everything from fly fishing to horse riding
‘We strive to offer service which is also second to none,’ says the Managing Director of Gleneagles
‘We are leading with the Art of Hospitality as our first special award announced ahead of the inaugural awards ceremony, as we believe that it is the staff who bring one-of-a-kind experiences and hotels to life. In a world that is fascinated by the new, we are especially pleased to be celebrating the people behind this historic hotel – led emphatically by Conor O’Leary.’
And Conor O’Leary, Managing Director of Gleneagles, says: ‘It’s an incredible honour to be the first recipient of the Art of Hospitality Award, part of the inaugural The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023. It’s all down to the incredible people that make up the team at Gleneagles, without them this wouldn’t be possible, and this award is a celebration of their hard work and commitment to making each and every guest’s stay a truly unique and memorable experience.
‘Gleneagles is unlike anywhere else in the world and we strive to offer service which is also second to none, so to receive this recognition is very special.’
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