Hat-trick for Auchrannie (From Redditch Advertiser)

Hat-trick for Auchrannie

9:43am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in Travel

A HOTEL located on one of Scotland’s many beautiful islands is celebrating a string of successes.

Auchrannie Resort, which is located on the Isle of Arran off the Scottish west-coast, is enjoying the news that contributors to Tripadvisor - the world's biggest on-line travel review site - have rated it the best hotel in the UK for families and furthermore it has been rated the 10th best family hotel in Europe and 25th best in the world!

The news was announced as TripAdvisor unveiled the winners of its prestigious 2013 Travellers' Choice Awards which honour the very best hotels in the UK and around the globe.

Linda Johnston, executive director of Auchrannie Resort said: "We are delighted to have been voted the number one family hotel in the UK by the families on TripAdvisor. This is testimony to the efforts of our fantastic team who work hard to ensure families that visit us have an enjoyable and memorable stay"

Richard Small, general manager added: "On a global level, TripAdvisor contains more than 75 million reviews and covers in excess of 680,000 different hotels. For a relatively small resort such as Auchrannie to have found its way into the top 25 worldwide for families is an achievement beyond anything we could have imagined. We hope that this will prove significant in raising awareness of both Auchrannie and the Isle of Arran at an international level".

The news will be a further boost to Auchrannie's year long celebrations marking its 25th anniversary.

The hotel lies at the heart of the beautiful isle of Arran and was first opened in 1988 as a 16 bedroom guesthouse.

It now consists of two four star hotels; the romantic and relaxing 'House Hotel' catering for couples and those wanting a more intimate experience whilst the contemporary 'Spa Resort' is popular with families and those prefer a more modern feel to their surroundings.

In addition, the resort features 30 five-star self-catering lodges, three outstanding restaurants and bars, two leisure centres offering pools, saunas and gym, plus the 300sq mts Playbarn - a must for kids of all ages.

And there will soon be something new as Auchrannie is soon to open the 'ASPA'; a purpose built spa experience offering luxurious treatments, chill out zone and relaxation space.

For children, the Playbarn features a three tier indoor mega soft-play, external play and picnic area, teen zone, internet area, big screen TV and free WIFI.

The on-site Adventure Cabin (operated by Arran Adventure) will ensure older children are well catered for. Take part in fully supervised archery, sea kayaking, gorge walking or abseiling or hire a mountain bike and see the island on two wheels.

The resort has a choice of three award winning restaurants which happily cater for children - as well as adults!

The Isle of Arran itself is one of Scotland's most accessible islands, and is often referred to as ‘Scotland in Miniature’ due to the dramatic contrast between the hills and mountains in the north, and sweeping moorlands on the south of the island.

A short 55 minute ferry journey off the Ayrshire coast, Arran is easily reachable by those arriving into any of central Scotland's main airports as well as those travelling by car, train and coach.

Whilst many tourists arrive on the island simply to kick back and relax, the island is packed with attractions and sights for visitors of all ages and can also boast seven golf courses, not to mention its own distillery and brewery.

For more information about Auchrannie and tourism on the Isle of Arran please see www.auchrannie.co.uk

ALAN WALLCROFT