PEOPLE WHO stay in Stirling can be sure of a warm welcome and great accommodation according to the most critical of reviewers – visitors themselves.
The Scottish city has been named among the top ten Most Welcoming Places in the United Kingdom in the Traveller Review Awards 2020.
The news comes as little surprise to the team at Hotel Colessio, one of Scotland’s finest boutique-style hotels.
The Traveller Review Awards were announced recently by Booking.com, one of the UK’s biggest hotel reservation sites.
Awards are given on the basis of review scores left by travellers after their experience or stay with a partner.
To win an award, a hotel must have a review score of between 8 and 10, calculated from a minimum of five reviews left by different guests.
Mallory Barrasso, from Booking.com, said: “Cities had to have an above-average amount of winners to be included in the top ten most welcoming places list, which means 90 award recipients or higher.”
Hotel Colessio, a charming and elegant 40-bedroom Victorian landmark building on the main approach to Stirling’s medieval castle, underwent a £300,000 renovation last year, which saw extensive refurbishments to the Colession Grill, stunning ballroom and a number of bedrooms.
Lynn Hood, Chief Operating Officer of Focus Hotels, said: “Everything we do at Hotel Colessio is designed to provide our guests with the best possible experience, and it’s gratifying to see that all our effort and hard work is being recognised.
“It’s one thing to be recognised by industry and business organisations, but when the accolades come from the paying customer, it means so much more.
“It also pays tribute to the hotel staff, who play a vital part in making guests feel welcome.”
Hotel Colessio is managed by Focus Hotels, a leading independent hospitality company with a portfolio of 15 hotels open, under development and in planning, totalling 1,597 bedrooms.
Lynn said there are plenty of exciting future plans for Hotel Colessio, including the introduction of a new menu, championing locally-sourced produce and seasonally-inspired dishes, not to mention several Chef’s specialities.
She added: “Stirling has so much to offer and is the perfect place from which to explore Edinburgh, Glasgow, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, which are all within easy reach.
“Hotel Colessio is the ideal base for explorers, an exceptional wedding venue and also the perfect place for business meetings and conferences.
“But now you don’t have to just take my word for it; those posting reviews on booking.com have confirmed that visitors to Stirling can be sure of a warm welcome so, of course, all I can say is, why not pay us a visit and find out for yourself!”
