Ayr Racecourse receives surprise visit
by US presidential candidate’s wife

By: Our Own Correspondent

CINDY McCain, wife of the US Presidential candidate Senator John McCain, was a surprise visitor to Ayr Racecourse last Thursday.

Cindy, 50, attended the Property Raceday in the company of amateur jockey Guy Willoughby and his wife Fiona and another friend Marilyn Burke. All four are Trustees of the Halo Trust, the charity which clears land mines from former war zones.


[Pictured left to right: Trustees of the Halo Trust Cindy McCain (wife of US Republican presidential candidate John McCain), jockey Guy Willoughby, Marilyn Burke, Fiona Willoughby and trainer Lucinda Russell. CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

Mrs McCain watched as Guy Willoughby fell from his horse Oliverjohn in the Dawn Homes Handicap.

She had earlier had lunch at Western House Hotel and enjoyed some haggis, neeps and tatties before heading to the course where she watched all seven races.

She also chatted to jockeys and racecourse staff in the Weighing Room before leaving the course to return to the Willoughbys’ home at Thornhill, Dumfriesshire.

Cindy said: “I really enjoyed my day at the races. I have been horse racing back home before, but this was very special – it was just a pity that Guy’s horse fell. I thought he was going very well at the time.

“I also enjoyed meeting the trainer of Guy’s horse, Lucinda Russell, and who knows I might even get Lucinda to train a horse for me, and I could come over more often.”

Racecourse spokesman Iain Ferguson said : “I was made aware Mrs McCain was in the company of Guy Willoughby and his party. She was a charming lady, and enjoyed her meal at Western House, but she didn’t want any fuss made.”

www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk

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Ayr Racecourse and Western House Hotel
win Business Excellence Award

By: Iain Ferguson

AYR Racecourse and Western House Hotel were awarded the Business Excellence Award in the manufacturing and service category at the annual Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce Dinner held in the Princess Royal Suite at the racecourse last Friday.


[Pictured left to right: Des Browne, Secretary of State for Defence; William Gorol, General Manager, Ayr Racecourse and Jim McGeechan, Chairman Ayrshire Business Excellence Awards. CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

The award, presented by Business Excellence Ayrshire managing director Jim McGeehan to Ayr Racecourse general manager William Gorol, caps an amazing turnaround in the fortunes of the business.

In June 2003 Ayr Racecourse was bought by Alan Macdonald, owner of the Dawn Group, and Richard Johnstone, managing director of healthcare provider Thorntoun, in a £10 million deal.

The course and its buildings were in need of a major investment in order to re-establish Ayr as Scotland’s premier racecourse.

Since then there have been massive improvements to the course and its facilities, with many more in the pipeline. One of the most significant changes was the £4.5 million transformation of Western House from the HQ of the Western Meeting Club to a four-star hotel.


In under three years the Western House Hotel (pictured above) has established itself as one of Scotland’s quality wedding venues, and won a string of awards including the Scottish Wedding Hotel of the Year in both 2007 and 2008 and the coveted VisitScotland Thistle Award for Customer Care – Serviced Accommodation 2007.

Other improvements include the opening of the Princess Royal Exhibition, Banqueting and Conference centre in 2005 - Ayrshire’s first ever dedicated venue of its kind.

And next month the £4.5 million Ayrshire Suite will open on the ground floor of the Princess Royal Stand. This will provide a 2500 capacity Grandstand sports bar on racedays and state of the art conference and banqueting facilities on non-race days.

Among the first events to be held there will be the 2008 Scottish Conservative Party conference in May.

Over the past year the racecourse has also staged its first ever rock concert – Rock At The Racecourse featuring The Saw Doctors and Deacon Blue, and in May this year Burns Rock At The Racecourse takes place with Status Quo and special guests From The Jam.

The legendary Saints and Sinners race night will also be staged at Ayr for the first time ever in June after organisers decided to move from Hamilton in order to raise even more money for the charities it supports.

The Racecourse itself has scooped the Racegoers Club Racecourse of the Year Award for Scotland and the North East for four successive years from 2004-2007.

Now more than 80 full-time staff are employed at the Racecourse and Western House, with the number reaching around 700 on major racedays.


[Pictured: Ayr Racecourse general manager William Gorol.]

Ayr Racecourse general manager William Gorol said: “It is a great privilege to receive this award on behalf of the team. Alan Macdonald and Richard Johnstone had a vision for the racecourse, and they are already well on their way to achieving that.

”Not only is Ayr Racecourse one of the top courses in the UK, but in Western House Hotel and the Princess Royal Centre we have two marvellous facilities that combine to make Ayr a much more attractive destination for conferences and tourism.”

www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk

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Western House Hotel named as Wedding Hotel of the Year

By: Murdoch MacDonald

AN Ayr hotel has scooped a hotel industry Oscar for the second year in a row - less than three years after opening!

Western House Hotel at Ayr Racecourse has been voted Scottish Wedding Hotel Of The Year 2008 at the prestigious Scottish Hotels Of The Year Awards held at Prestonfield House Hotel, Edinburgh on Sunday evening.


[Picture shows: Western House Hotel Conferencing and Banqueting Manager Jane McRoberts, left, and Wedding Co-ordinator Jean Kerr with the Wedding Hotel of the Year Award. CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

The four-star hotel was chosen by a panel of more than 20 judges including representatives from leading Scottish magazines, VisitScotland and the Scottish Press. More than 500 Scottish hotel industry professionals attended the event.

Now in their 5th year, the Scottish Hotel of the Year awards is the largest event of the year and is hailed as the ‘Oscars’ of the Scottish hotel industry. The event was hosted by BBC presenter Sally Magnusson and attended by guest of honour Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney MSP. The evening featured a surprise performance from Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus.

Designed to encourage, recognise and reward excellence in hotels and staff in Scotland, the Scottish Hotels of the Year awards are administered by Scottish hotel review website HotelReviewScotland.com (HRS).

Nominations are made by consumers, industry and HRS reviewers. Final award winners are selected by a proportional combination of online public votes, an Awards Panel made up of well-known industry experts and critics, and finally, a four-strong panel of Award Judges, including renowned food writer Wendy Barrie. The 2008 awards attracted votes from over 20,000 people worldwide.


William Gorol (pictured above), General Manager of Ayr Racecourse, owners of the Western House Hotel, was naturally proud of the award, and said: “The success is down to having a great team from our wedding co-ordinator through to the hotel management and chefs, restaurant staff and bar staff.

“I was fortunate enough to be here when Western House Hotel opened, and was given the task of hand picking my staff and I can’t be happier with what we have achieved in so short a period of time.”

Chairman of the Scottish Hotel of the Year awards Gary McLean remarked: “We are delighted to award Western House Hotel with a Wedding Hotel of the Year – Large for their consistent excellence and innovation in the dynamic and demanding weddings market. We are especially delighted to have awarded Western House Hotel’s Jean Kerr with a Special Commendation – Wedding Coordinator for her dedication to excellence.”


In 2007 Western House held more than 150 weddings, and that figure looks certain to be topped this year. Last October Western House also won a coveted VisitScotland Thistle Award for Customer Care – Service Accommodation.

The 49-bedroom destination was formerly the meeting place and offices of the Western Meeting Club, owners of Ayr Racecourse until 2003. It opened as a hotel on 3 June 2005.

Visit the Western House Hotel website: CLICK HERE

And the Ayr Racecourse website: CLICK HERE

Ayrshire Scotland Business News....
- where Ayrshire business news breaks first!
* * *

Ayr Racecourse and Western House Hotel gain Investors in People

AYR Racecourse and the Western House Hotel have been awarded the Investors In People standard.

The Racecourse employs 210 staff, with a further 80 working at Western House and Ayr Racecourse general manager William Gorol said he was “delighted and proud” both organisations had been awarded the prestigious standard.


[Picture: Corporate entertainment facilities at Ayr Racecourse.]

IIP status is awarded to organisations and businesses that have consistently demonstrated good practice in their approach to people management and development, as defined by the Investors in People national standard and confirmed through independent assessment.

William Gorol added: “As employers, we pride ourselves on our commitment to staff training. It is important that we have staff who know their business and provide the public with the best possible service.

“Investors In People is a recognised standard throughout industry, and I am delighted and proud that both Ayr Racecourse and Western House Hotel have achieved this standard.”

Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire operations director Jim Reid said: “I am delighted that Ayr Racecourse and Western House Hotel have been recognised for the Investors in People status.

“Tourism is an important industry in Ayrshire and forward-thinking organisations like these will ensure that it continues to develop and grow. It is a great credit to all of the employees that this standard has been achieved, and it demonstrates a high degree of commitment from everyone involved.

“Successful organisations focus on the skills and learning of their people, and Ayrshire’s labour supply is one of our strengths. I would encourage other businesses and individuals to take their lead from this success story and make workforce development a priority.”

www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk

Western House Hotel in Ayrshire Scotland
wins Scottish Thistle Award

THE Western House Hotel at Ayr Racecourse has been given one of the highest accolades in tourism – a coveted VisitScotland Thistle Award.

The four-star hotel, which opened in June 2005, landed the honour in the Serviced Accommodation category at the awards ceremony held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre last Friday.

CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW FULL-SIZE VERSION:


[Picture shows left to right: VisitScotland chief executive Philip Riddle; Western House Hotel restaurant supervisor Alison Mair; receptionist Vicki Hamilton; Ayr Racecourse general manager William Gorol; VisitScotland director, visitor services and quality, Willie Macleod; Western House Hotel new business development manager Mary Simpson; Christmas co-ordinator Marion Patterson; manager Craig Dunlop; reception supervisor Alastair Stewart; front office manager Pam Davies; Minister for Enterprise, Energy & Tourism, Jim Mather MSP; and VisitScotland chairman Peter J Lederer CBE.]

Western House, which was also named Scottish Wedding Hotel of the Year in January, was in a short list of three including the Radisson SAS Hotel, Edinburgh.

In announcing the Ayr hotel as the winner, compere for the night television star Alistair McGowan read out the following comments from the judges:

“From the time the doorman greets you, a special kind of service meets you throughout the Western House Hotel.

“Highly professional staff are experts in judging their customers’ requirements, and operate a constant system of double checking that everything is in order in a subtle and unobtrusive manner.

“Corporate guests, Christmas parties and individual guests are all personally welcomed in a manner appropriate to them, and their needs addressed on an individual basis.

“2007’s target occupancy was exceeded in the first five months of the year, clearly showing that the investment in a personalised approach to customer care paid dividends.”

Ayr Racecourse general manager William Gorol said the Thistle Awards were the Oscars of the hotel industry, and added: ”I am so proud of the team who made this possible. Customer care is the backbone of the success of any business in the hospitality sector and to win a Thistle Award is testimony to the fact that the staff here are getting it right.

“Western House may only have been established as a hotel less than two and a half years ago, but we have staff who are amongst the most experienced and skilled in the business.

“I am fortunate in that I had the golden opportunity to hand pick the team that is the cornerstone of our success. I feel very privileged to be part of that team.”

The four-star, 49 bedroom destination was formerly the meeting place and offices of the Western Meeting Club, owners of Ayr Racecourse until 2003.

When the course was bought from the Club by Alan Macdonald, chairman of the Dawn Group and Richard Johnstone, managing director of Thorntoun Health Care, they decided to restore this near 100 year old mansion to its former glory, and after a £4.5 million makeover Western House Hotel was opened on 3 June 2005.

The elegant Cathedral Ballroom accommodates up to 160 guests for the wedding meal and 250 at the evening reception. And magical romantic gardens with stunning water features provide the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs.

The Scottish Thistle Awards

Created by VisitScotland in 1991, the Scottish Thistle Awards showcase business excellence and quality. As an important event on the tourism calendar, the media attention it generates helps VisitScotland and the sponsors raise the profile of the tourism industry.

VisitScotland's objectives for the Scottish Thistle Awards are:

* Reward excellence in Scotland’s tourism industry in all areas and at all levels

* Promote quality service and products which reflect all that is best in Scotland’s world reputed and foremost industry

* Encourage professionalism, innovation and creative thinking within the industry

Links:

www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk

www.VisitScotland.org

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Successful Ayrshire companies invited
to join Elite Ayrshire Business Circle

Successful Ayrshire companies who are top of their league are being invited to join the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle.

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle is a newly formed association of some of the leading companies in Ayrshire.


[Picture shows members of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle who attended the inaugural meeting recently. For a larger image with caption CLICK HERE.]

The purpose of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle is to publicise its members, and to celebrate and promote the rich diversity of industry, commerce and business services available within the county boundaries of Ayrshire.

Members include the Clydesdale Bank, Ayr Racecourse and the Western House Hotel, and member company activities include building and construction, architectural practice, estate agency and land management, chartered accountancy, insurance broking, legal services, golf club management, a leading restaurant, CCTV surveillance provision, marketing services and brand creation, business coaching, web design and public relations consultancy.

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle runs its own online news magazine, which can be found at http://www.ayrshirebusinessnews.com

As well as regularly updated illustrated articles about member companies, Ayrshire Business News also features rolling news, business and sports headlines, and its own online department store.

Only one member is allowed in any particular business sector, which greatly increases the effectiveness of networking opportunities within the Circle.

But one of the main advantages of membership is the Circle’s news distribution service.

Every member company is encouraged to issue one press release every month, and such is the effectiveness of the Circle’s news distribution service that the contents of these press releases regularly appear in Google News and other leading search engines within a couple of hours of issue.

One of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle’s founder members is Willie Mackie. He says: “At launch we believed this was an important step in promoting businesses in Ayrshire. Our experience has confirmed this is a great vehicle for sharing success.”

For further information about The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle and to apply for membership, e-mail eliteayrshire@gmail.com

Western House Hotel in Ayr shortlisted for Scottish Thistle Awards

THE Western House Hotel at Ayr Racecourse is among 35 top tourism businesses which have made it through to the finals of this year’s prestigious VisitScotland Scottish Thistle Awards.


Picture shows: The Western House Hotel

The Western House Hotel has been shortlisted in the Customer Care (Serviced Accommodation) category, along with Clach Mhuilinn, Inverness and the Radisson SAS Hotel, Edinburgh.

Ayr Racecourse general manager William Gorol expressed his delight at Western House Hotel making it through to the Finals of the Scottish Thistle Award for Customer Care. William said: “The Thistle Awards reflect the pinnacle of the Scottish hospitality industry, and I am thrilled that Western House Hotel has reached the finals.

“Customer care is probably the most important aspect of the hospitality industry, and at Western House we have left no stone unturned in making sure our customers are given the very best care and service.”

Now in their 16th year, the awards were open to all businesses operating in Scotland’s tourism industry.

Congratulating the finalists, Tourism Minister Jim Mather said: “These awards recognise people who are delivering the very best of Scottish hospitality. I congratulate all those shortlisted. They have achieved high standards, and have not only boosted their own individual businesses, but also Scotland’s economy as a whole.

“The Scottish Thistle Awards are yet another reminder of the skills, talent and drive shown by our tourism industry. The Scottish government is determined to work with the industry to build on our successes, boost tourism figures and increase sustainable economic growth.”

Over 200 entries were received for this year’s Scottish Thistle Awards. Each category had its own independent panel of judges who work to a strict scoring system.

VisitScotland Ayrshire & Arran Area Director Catriona Mackie said; “I am really impressed by the top quality entries from Ayrshire this year, and congratulate The Western House Hotel on making it onto the shortlist, and wish them the best of luck in the final stages of judging.

“We know that it is the little things we do which will make the difference and keep visitors coming back to Ayrshire & Arran for more.

“The Scottish Thistle Awards recognise small and large businesses across Scotland which go that extra mile to drive up quality and make Scotland and Ayrshire & Arran a must visit, must return destination.”

Visit the Western House Hotel website: CLICK HERE