OUTER HEBRIDES WINNER AT HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS TOURISM AWARDS
Hebridean Luxury Holidays based in Stornoway had cause for celebration last Friday at the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards as it walked away with a top industry award.
The judges were looking for businesses and partnerships which clearly demonstrated successful and creative marketing initiatives which had brought additional visitors and income to the Highlands and Islands. And they were extremely impressed by Hebridean Luxury Holidays’ clever marketing initiatives, in particular a highly successful campaign which involved sending out paintbrushes along with the message ‘Lewis – don’t forget your paintbrush’.
The judges considered Hebridean Luxury Holidays an outstanding winner because of its out-of-the-box thinking, opting to market Lewis as the best Hebridean holiday destination to their target audience and then promoting their luxury holidays as the place to stay on the back of this.”
Graham McLellan owner of Hebridean Luxury holidays said “We are delighted to be recognised by the tourism industry with this wonderful marketing award. We are passionate about looking after our customers and have shouted from the roof tops what a world class destination we have here on Lewis.
“We were up against incredibly tough competition from right across the Highlands and Islands and to bring any award home to Lewis is just brilliant. We could not have achieved this without the help of our friends Bright Light Marketing who made this award a real team effort.”
November 2009
Paradise found in the Hebrides
Birmingham Mail, 21 October 2009
Anticipating rain, rain and more rain, we had booked five nights at a luxurious holiday home in a quiet street on the edge of Stornoway, the capital of Lewis.
Our timber-clad lodge, Metagama, was named after the ocean liner on which hundreds of islanders emigrated to North America in search of a more prosperous existence 100 years ago.
The lodge had a living flame fire, a large TV with full Sky package, a DVD library, a PlayStation and books that we were encouraged to take home if we didn’t finish reading them in time.
Best of all, there was a whirlpool bath for two and a sauna where guests can close their eyes and pretend they are on that Jamaican beach, if it is pouring down outside. (article in full)
Local businesses in Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards final
Stornoway Gazzette 14 October 2009
Stornoway-based Hebridean Luxury Holidays features among the 25 strong shortlist of the best tourism businesses in the region in this year's Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards.
The awards scheme, which is one of the most coveted accolades in the industry and recognises tourism players at the top of their game, is designed to reflect the high quality, diversity and innovation synonymous with tourism today in the Highlands and Islands. (article in full) and Highland Tourism Awards website.
Outer Hebrides tick all the boxes
Homecoming Scotland aims to bring Scots acrross the world home - and remind those here of their past. Susan Welsh took her family to the Outer Hebrides to find our more about her family roots. Aberdeen Press & Journal, 8 June 2009. (article in full)
Taste of the High Life in the Hebrides
By Michael Short, Bolton News 30 May 2009.
"Of course, this being the Outer Hebrides, the weather can be less kind. Horizontal rain and howling winds were pretty much all we experienced in our week there.
But don’t think that spoiled our holiday. In fact, the sometimes brutal weather actually added to our break.
That is because we were able to spend the hours shored up in the island’s only five star accommodation, a luxury timber lodge with everything you could need to while away the time.
Metagama is just one of a handful of the five star facilities run by Hebridean Luxury Holidays, quite possibly the world’s friendliest travel company."
Energy for life
Cosy and comfortable, these lodges on Lewis come with the latest eco-saving measures built in.
By Nichola Hunter, Scotsman Magazine, February 2009 (article in full)
Five star treatment for Hebridean Self Catering
Hebridean Self Catering has been awarded the maximum five star grading by VisitScotland, Scotland’s national tourism organisation, for two of its luxury holiday lodges on Lewis.
The company now has a total of four 5 star properties following a Quality Assurance Scheme grading visit, making it the largest provider of luxury self catering on the island. With modern open plan living and saunas and jacuzzi baths within the properties, they offer visitors to Lewis a luxurious experience.
Locally owned and operated from Stornoway, the properties have also been built using environmentally sensitive methods and materials, something which earned them a Silver award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme, the UK’s leading sustainable tourism certification scheme.
Morag Duncan from Hebridean Luxury Holidays said: “We are delighted that the national tourism organisation has awarded us with a five star grading and this recognises our ongoing investment into providing top quality accommodation for our visitors to Lewis.
“Excellent customer service is also central to the success of our business and we work very hard to ensure that visitors have a wonderful experience here.”
Tony Mercer, Head of VisitScotland’s Quality & Standards said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved with this success story. It is clear that their sheer hard work and determination has paid off, benefiting Lewis and its tourism offering greatly.”
Stornoway Gazette & West Coast Advertiser, October 2, 2008
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Spectrum Magazine, Scotland on Sunday
September 2, 2007
This is a small development of individually designed lodges on the Isle of Lewis which, despite their luxurious, contemporary interiors (and unlike some other similar swanky but snooty establishments), still welcomes children, with cots, high-chairs and baby baths all available on request.
Getting there: Caledonian MacBrayne (www.calmac.com) operates various routes, including a ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway. Direct flights are available from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness.
Room service: Two of the lodges are five-star affairs (the only five-star accommodation on the island). Our choice, the Metagama Lodge, featured an open-plan living area with sumptuous leather sofas, a swish, very well-equipped oak kitchen and a bathroom that was an oasis of calm with its Jacuzzi, sauna and twinkling, fibre-optic ceiling lights. Patio doors opened out on to an area of decking where we could enjoy a barbecue and relax with a drink.
Out and about: My childhood memories of holidays on Lewis include making a lot of our own entertainment, but much has changed since then. Adventurous types can choose from power-boat cruises, kite surfing, kayaking, abseiling and surfing. Back-ups for rainy days include the new leisure centre in Stornoway, while the town's impressive An Lanntair arts centre offers a wide-ranging programme of theatre and cinema.
Bed test: Our king-size bed was extremely comfortable, and our toddler certainly slept well too. The sea air may have helped, but whatever the reason it left us free to kick back with a glass of wine and a sauna in the evenings.
Little extras: Finding a shop that's open on a Sunday can be tricky. But the owner of the lodges, Graham McLellan, will stock up on whatever supplies you fancy so that, even if you're arriving on the evening ferry, you needn't go hungry the next morning (don't forget to put the renowned local black pudding on your shopping list). And if you travel by plane (less scenic but it takes a fraction of the time), McLellan has cars you can hire so you can still explore all the delights the island has to offer (the beaches of Harris and Uig are a must). See the article in full.