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Ardoe House has been done up

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Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel & Spa, a country retreat set in 30 acres of peaceful Aberdeenshire countryside, has been beautifully transformed into a Mercure flagship property following an extensive refurbishment of its bedrooms to accompany the grand public areas and spa facilities.

Built in 1887 in the Scottish Baronial style and fashioned on Balmoral Castle, just 50 miles away, Ardoe House Hotel’s bedrooms have been lovingly redesigned, bringing Aberdeenshire’s past and present to life. A locally inspired brand, Mercure worked with interior designer Frances Blackham at Trevellion Interiors. The refurbishment has seen new furnishings, textures and patterns incorporated into the property, capturing the cosmopolitan feel of Aberdeen, just five miles away.

All of the refurbished classic doubles and privilege rooms offer modern luxuries and a home-from-home experience, along with a dash of Scottish charm. Emblematic of the Highlands but with a modern twist, a plaid fabric in a shade of terracotta now adorns the bedroom chairs, while a montage of black and white architectural photography features on the headboards, showcasing 100 years of Ardoe House history.

The bedroom walls include a new array of monochromatic images, featuring the property itself. Graceful, neutral, stone coloured tones flow throughout the rooms and coordinate with beautiful walnut furniture. Each bedroom is equipped with a TV with international satellite channels, 24-hour room service and free Wi-Fi access, which is available throughout the hotel.

During their stay guests will experience the juxtaposition of both new and old styles. The property’s original features were completed by local craftsmanship and include striking stonework and beautifully crafted wood paneling, elaborate plinths, stained glass windows and paneled doors with intricate metalwork. In reception sits an exquisite mosaic floor and extraordinary latticed ceiling. All compliment the modern design additions that have been made to the bedrooms.

Visitors have the option to dine at sophisticated Blairs Restaurant or informal Soapie’s Lounge Bar. With its farm to fork ethos, Blairs Restaurant offers an array of innovative culinary creations, pushing the boundaries of modern cuisine with innovate and exciting dishes. Guests can sample the signature dish of seared scallops from Isle of Skye, served with chamomile jelly, locally grown celeriac and grated coffee beans. There are also two classic cocktails with an Ardoe twist – a Smokey Papa Don cocktail with tequila, marmalade/chili syrup, lemon and grapefruit juice, and Lagavulin, along with the Grey Flannel cocktail containing Hendricks gin, mandarin marmalade, Earl Grey tea and lemongrass.

 

Alongside is Soapie’s Lounge Bar that serves homely dishes, inspired by locally sourced ingredients. The lounge is the ideal place to enjoy an informal lunch or dinner in front of an open fire. Guests can also enjoy a tipple in the Drawing Room or Laird’s Bar, with its impressive selection of malt whiskies.

 

Guests will be encouraged to pick from the ‘Flavours of the Cellar’ wine list, which includes three handpicked wines available across the Mercure Hotels in the UK, carefully selected by the BBC Saturday Kitchen Masters of Wine, Susie Barrie and Peter Richards.

 

Jonathan Sheard, SVP Operations Luxury, Upscale & Midscale Hotels, Accor UK & Ireland said: “We are delighted with the new look and feel of the bedrooms at Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel & Spa and how they really lift the hotel and create a full beautiful experience in this unique building for all our guests. True to the Mercure, the design reflects the brand’s commitment to strong local connections and we hope that people visit to see everything that Aberdeen and the region has to offer.”

Peter Sangster, General Manager of the Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel and Spa said: “I’m thrilled to welcome both new and returning guests to the stunningly refurbished, historic property. The new look captures the spirit of Aberdeen, while offering unbeatable style and comfort.”

  • 120 bedrooms including classic doubles, privilege rooms and feature double rooms
  • Prices start from £94 per room, per night
  • Two restaurants – Blairs Restaurant and Soapie’s Lounge Bar
  • Two bars – Drawing Room and Laird’s Bar
  • Leisure facilities – spa, indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and fitness suite
  • Nine function rooms ideal for gala dinners, weddings and conferences for up to 450 people
  • Five miles from the city of Aberdeen and seven miles from Aberdeen airport

 

www.mercure.com

 

Aberdeen is the next target for ExecSpace

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Jess Atkinson

 

Emma Little’s booming conference and business accommodation vehicle ExecSpace is announcing a further expansion into Aberdeen by a significant appointment of a new director today.

Edinburgh based ExecSpace, Scotland’s leading conference and business accommodation agent, has announced its expansion into the North of Scotland with the pivotal appointment of Jess Atkinson, as Regional Account Director based in Aberdeen.

A finalist at the 2013 Highland Business Woman Awards, Jess was previously Business Development Manager for Macdonald Aviemore Resort, the flagship conference and leisure resort of the UK’s largest privately owned hotel group.  Whilst there, she was responsible for developing and implementing highly successful strategies to drive revenue and attract a broad mix of new clients.

 

Prior to that, she spent approximately 17 years with multi award-winning local radio station Moray Firth Radio (part of the Bauer Media Group “BMF”) rising from Advertising Account Executive to a Senior Account Manager.  In 2009, Jess won the accolade of BMF’s top salesman in Scotland, becoming an ambassador for Bauer Media’s Rainmaker Programme.

 

Emma Little, Managing Director of ExecSpace said:-“I am delighted that Jess has agreed to join ExecSpace to lead our offering in Aberdeen and the highlands and islands.  This is an important step for us, expanding ExecSpace’s footprint outside of the central belt where we began, into the North of Scotland and into Aberdeen which leads the way in Europe’s energy generation. Not only does Jess have fantastic experience but her high personal values are totally aligned with those values which underpin ExecSpace, ensuring that we offer our clients the best possible customer experience every time. I am very much looking forward to working with Jess as ExecSpace continues to grow.”

 

Jess Atkinson commented: -“I am thrilled to be joining ExecSpace at this exciting time.  I believe that there is a huge opportunity for us to make a real impact on the conference and business accommodation market in Aberdeen and the North of Scotland, as customers understand what differentiates us from our competitors – namely our guarantee to provide outstanding standards of customer service. I am very much looking forward to being part of the future for this dynamic company and to working with Emma and her team.”

 

ExecSpace currently looks after 100 blue chip clients ranging from private companies to Stock Exchange listed businesses looking to host external events across the UK. It currently has annual revenues in excess of £5m.

The company sources appropriate meeting rooms. These can vary from conference and meeting style venues to seminars and training rooms and often come complete with AV equipment and catering functions.

Alongside this, ExecSpace offers business accommodation booking services, negotiating the most competitive rates.

 

The ExecSpace team places substantial importance on differentiating itself from its competitors in the current economic climate. It has achieved this by consistently going the extra mile for its loyal customer base and focusing on building strong, long lasting business relationships.

 

In July of this year, ExecSpace announced its first senior management appointment as Natalie Maynard joined the team as Regional Account Director for the West of Scotland.

In May 2013, ExecSpace received a substantial six figure investment from Bradenham Partners LLP and confirmed its plans to expand its new accommodation booking service in parallel with the company’s already well established conference and events business.

 

City Council draft Business Plan

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Recommendations on Aberdeen City Council’s draft Business Plan for the next five will be considered by the Full Council on 15 December.

Finance and Resources Committee members (the Committee) today agreed the recommendations of the City Council’s ruling Administration on the policy options contained in the draft Five Year Business Plan should be presented to the full council for further decisions.

The City Council has published a colour-coded version of the Priority Based Budgeting: Final Draft Report.

The colour green indicates that the Administration is recommending to the Full Council that the savings be accepted.

The colour amber indicates that the Finance and Resources Committee is recommending that further reports be drawn up with more information about the potential impact of making the saving, or with alternative ways of making the saving.

Policy options coloured in red are the budget savings which the Committee recommended should not be accepted at this time but which may be re-visited before the City Council’s budget-setting day in February and in light of the detailed budget settlement for Aberdeen City Council, which will be announced by the Scottish Government on 8 December.

The only exceptions are – lines ACC_SO18 (page 39 of the report) Council-wide Options – permit Chief Executive to decide on management structure savings; line CG_LDS_ 07b (page 38) Corporate governance Stop/Reduce – Council committees aligned to statutory minimum; review in 2012; line CG_LDS_ 07e (page 38) Corporate Governance Stop/Reduce – 5% reduction in Statutory Responsibility Allowances Enhancement; CS_FS03 (page 38) Corporate Governance Stop/Reduce – reduce Fairer Scotland Fund by £750,000, not £1 million, and hold community summit.

Finance and Resources convener Councillor Kevin Stewart said: “No one enters elected office to make cuts but unfortunately the depth of savings we are required to make in these extremely difficult economic times gives us no choice but to do so.

“We have some extremely difficult decisions to make over the next few weeks and months to make sure we get through the next five-year period.

“Those decisions will affect all services right across the council. It is impossible to protect any area from the savings we will have to make. But what this Administration can promise is that we will set a budget according to the priorities of the council, the citizens and our partners.

“We will make sure that the most vulnerable people are protected, that the economy of this city remains vibrant, that school attainment is improved and that we manage our waste better. We will do our best for Aberdeen in these difficult times.

“We will continue to consult closely with the public and our partners in the public sector, voluntary sector and business communities between now and February. But people have the right to know now the Administration’s thinking on how we should balance the books.”

Today’s recommendations from the Committee were on the policy options contained in the Priority Based Budgeting Final Draft Report, which is forming the basis of consultations with the people of Aberdeen, the city’s business, voluntary and academic sectors, and with other public sector partner organisations.

The report – in which £150 million of potential savings were identified – was the result of more than five months of detailed work by City Council officials to define existing services, establish current costs, and then draw up policy options. The review covered more than 200 services and resulted in some 750 options, which are laid out in four categories –

* Transformation or Strategic options, which change the nature of the service delivery;
* Efficiency options, which do not change the nature of a service but focus on efficiency and effectiveness;
* Efficiency-with-barriers options, which would change the nature of service delivery and require some change to legislation;
* Stop/Reduce options, which would cut the level of service or result in a service no longer being delivered.

The 5 Year Business Plan approach is a fundamentally new way of planning future spending and investment in the city and is based on Aberdeen City Council’s six key priorities –

* provide for the needs of the most vulnerable people;
* help to ensure that all schoolchildren reach their potential;
* manage waste better and increase recycling;
* encourage new affordable housing;
* ensure a sustainable economic future for the city;
* ensure efficient and effective delivery of services by the Council and with its partners.

The City Council is making a major effort to gather the views of as many citizens as possible before finalising the Five Year Business Plan. Around 100 Information Points have been set up across the city to allow people to have their say by filling in questionnaires on spending and services. Online comments are being collected on the City Council’s website at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk, where the questionnaires are also available. Over 1,000 have been returned so far.

More than 300 people have attended public meetings. In excess of 100 of the city’s top stakeholders have also been involved in consultations.

Alford Millers go to town!

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A family-run business that runs the last commercial water-powered oat mill in Scotland is supplying Waitrose Scottish stores with two exclusive products.

This month, Oatmeal of Alfords’ Scottish Porridge Oats and Scottish Muesli with Strawberry & Hazelnut go on sale exclusively at Waitrose stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The Oatmeal of Alford, based in Aberdeenshire, is run by the Medlock family. They mill oats at Montgarrie Meal Mill and turn them into traditional oat products such as oatmeal, porridge and muesli.

The three Waitrose stores in Scotland now stock around 300 Scottish lines including Alford’s Medium Oatmeal.

Tracey Marshall, Waitrose Local and Regional Sourcing Manager, said how pleased Waitrose were to be adding two more Oatmeal of Alford lines to their Scottish selection. She said:

“The products are made from home-grown Scottish oats, which are traditionally prepared and processed. They’re delicious and authentic and Oatmeal of Alford’s are a perfect example of the type of local supplier we love to work with.”

John Medlock is delighted to be working with Waitrose:  He said:

“Waitrose really understand about good food that’s carefully and sustainably produced. We pride ourselves on being “the best of the best” in Scottish oats products, so I am thrilled to be able to offer oat aficionados more of our authentic products through Waitrose. Working with them, is a fantastic way to build our business and introduce our products to a wider audience.”

The Medlock family pride themselves for selling 100 percent home grown oats from their farm at Mains of Haulkerton, Laurencekirk.  They are harvested at the farm and then transported to the mill where they are dried on an iron kiln and milled using traditional methods which have been used for over a century.  After milling they are then taken back to the farm to be packed, or other ingredients such as dried fruit and nuts are added, depending on what the final product is.