Old Loans Inn named Hotel of the Year

04.11.19: The Old Loans Inn near Troon in Ayrshire was named Small Hotel of the Year for an unprecedented third consecutive year at the 2019 Scottish Golf Tourism Week Awards in St Andrews.

The luxury SimpsInns property was recognised once more for excellence in hospitality and quality of service and continues to be a firm favourite with both international and domestic visitors to Ayrshire.

“We are absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award for the third consecutive year,” enthused SimpsInns owner Malcolm Simpson. “To have been named Small Hotel of the Year once is very special, but to win for the third straight year is simply sensational.

“The Old Loans Inn enjoys a great reputation and this repeated success is testament to the ongoing hard work and effort by the team at the Old Loans Inn who ensure all guests enjoy a warm welcome and memorable stay in the heart of Ayrshire.”

As part of Scottish Golf Tourism Week (SGTW), the glittering awards ceremony took place at the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews where Scottish broadcaster David Tanner hosted the event supported by VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and PSP Media Group.

A who’s who of the Scottish golf industry was on show to recognise excellence in product and service across a range of categories. The 20-bedroom Old Loans Inn faced stiff competition in the Small Hotel of the Year category but came out on top against The Golf Hotel (Crail), The Red House Hotel (Blairgowrie) and Kinettles Hotel & Spa (St Andrews).

Another SimpsInns property, The Gailes Hotel was shortlisted in the Hotel of the Year category (21-50 bedrooms) which was won by the internationally renowned Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen.

Open venue Carnoustie was the headline winner of ‘Scotland’s Best Golf Experience 2019’. The eight-time Open venue was shortlisted alongside Gleneagles, Trump Turnberry and Kingsbarns, winner of the award in four of the last five years.

The Scottish Golf Tourism Awards are determined solely by public vote, which registered a record 40,000 votes when voting closed at the end of September.

Scottish Golf Tourism Week attracted “more than 100 leading tour operators from across the world to experience Scotland’s diverse golf product”. It has become an integral part of the ambition drive to grow the value of the golf tourism industry in Scotland from £286 million in 2016 to £300 million by 2020, according to organisers.

“I would like to extend my thanks to all the businesses and tour operators who have come together from across the world to make Scottish Golf Tourism Week 2019 a huge success,” said Tom Lovering, director of Scottish Golf Tourism Week. “The event is now firmly established as Scotland’s key golf tourism legacy event, showcasing the very best of the country’s golf product to a global audience and creating lasting benefits for the economy as a result.”

The Old Loans Inn and The Gailes Hotel continue to fly the flag for Ayrshire. The SimpsInns properties are two of the most recognisable hotels for visiting golfers to Ayrshire and key suppliers within this tourism sector.