Leonardo Hotel in Inverness is looking forward to a busy season
Leonardo Hotel Inverness, is expecting a busy year for visitors and events throughout the year. Having formerly been known as Jury’s Inn, the team at the hotel are keen to reassure people that they will still receive the same great service and treatment as they did before.
The 118-room hotel on Millburn Road features two restaurants: Cromarty where both guests and locals can relax in the contemporary atmosphere and enjoy freshly prepared meals and drinks; and its Dornoch Bar with a more relaxed setting for light-bites.
For Leonardo Hotels’ area manager, Alison Christie, it is an exciting time for the hotel, and they are looking forward to welcoming guests over a busy tourist season.
She said: “We have a great team here in Inverness and we are really excited to give all our guests that Highland welcome that the region is renown for.
“Last year we welcomed 53 coaches of tourists and this year we currently have 64 on the books. It is going to busy but we are confident that they will all have a wonderful time in the capital of the Highlands.
“We are just trying to get the name out – nothing major has changed apart from the name above the door. It is the same people and the same offering – it is a great location with great people working here.”
Not only does the hotel provide rooms for guests and decadent food, but it also has four fully-equipped meeting rooms available for events.
For businesses looking to host an event for employees or networking, there is space at the Inverness hotel for between 20 and 200 guests or delegates.
Alison commented: “We can do conferences, party spaces – you name it, we can do it!”
The hotel also boasts its own health and leisure club, that both guests and those in the area can use. The gym has 650 members in the local area, so it is not only a stop for tourists, but a community meeting point.
For Alison, the best thing about the hotel is its staff, and she is very proud to have a hard-working, loyal team:
“Our people are our biggest asset. We have many long serving staff within the hotel who know our repeat customers and the area well. They let all our guests know the best places to go around the area!
“Our longest serving member of staff has been here for 21 years, so there is a wealth of knowledge and expertise here in Inverness!”
Alison herself has been in hospitality all her life and she explained why she loves working in the sector.
She said: “I never wanted to do anything else.
“My grandparents had a pub, so hospitality is always what I wanted to do.
“I did a college degree in hospitality and then worked my way up from the bottom.
“It gives you experience, so when you are asking staff to do something, you know what you are talking about.
“But for me seeing the customer leave happy after a wonderful stay is the most rewarding thing about the job.
“The feedback we get through our customer surveys is enjoyable to read - whether that be in the restaurant or as a stay.”
Alison is now keen to let others know that you can have a career in the sector and it’s not just a part-time job.
“A lot of the time people have a misconception of hospitality, but there is so much more to it”, she explained.
“We’ve started our own apprenticeship schemes and I am really passionate about getting young people trained up.
“It is an 18-month programme which I get involved in.
“Seeing them grow through the programme is really rewarding, and they’re capable of doing whatever they want in the field.”
