Meet the Owner – Isle Of Eriska Hotel

After convincing his parents to reinvest in the Eriska hotel, Beppo Buchanan-Smith has produced a luxury retreat with big refurbishment plans

 Tell me the background of your hotel?

My parents spotted the property back in 1973 – my father was a church of Scotland minister and my mother a housewife, and they wanted to create something which would allow visitors to enjoy the west coast of Scotland, and during out of season months would become a non-profit retreat for open thinking.

The retreat opened in June 1974 for four months; my parents worked endlessly, but after the paying guests departed and they were left operating the retreat for a month, they soon realised that they could not afford to subsidise it. Every penny made in peak season was needed to develop Eriska for the summer visitors. So they began to concentrate not only on reinvesting, but also evolving the hotel offering.

In 1992 I returned to the business and persuaded my parents that a six-month operation would not survive, so we invested not only in non-weather and non-light dependent facilities, but also in staff accommodation and training. We were striving to offer five-star facilities, amenities and services within the constraints of a Scottish country house.

Gradually, we have developed a direction for the business and have set out our individual proposition to the market. Now it is a matter of developing this market and spreading the message to a wider marketplace.

What challenges have you faced since opening?

Having opened with the thought of survival immediately in hand, it is as true today as it was back in June 1973, only now we employ more team members and rely upon our judgement.

When Eriska opened nearly 40 years ago, it had no marketing budget or funds left for investment, so we had to look to see what we could offer to make us stand out. Peace and quiet immediately arose, and then hospitality and service, and today these core ingredients remain and are at the heart of all we strive to achieve.

While we need to be aware that we are running a business and need to make money to reinvest and survive, we also need to be clear that without guests choosing to visit us, we could not survive and offer employment to those who work here. The challenge of communicating that to our team and insuring that they all strive to perform, currently creates the greatest challenge. Combining the best team with the greatest guests is simple on paper, but it is not always the easiest achievement in reality.

What areas have been refurbished this year?

We have constructed a purpose-built hall with one tennis court, three badminton courts, indoor football and carpet bowls. In addition, to supplement the extensive outdoor golf facilities for teaching and practice, we added a putting green and three driving range nets ─ so should the weather turn, then we have the opportunity for continued uninterrupted golf.

Why did you decide to invest in refurbishment this year?

With two major sporting occasions on our doorstep – the London Olympics and the Commonwealth Games in 2014 – we looked at our clients and the market and drew conclusions that there was a need for further non-weather and non-light dependent facilities. Not because we saw ourselves as a training base for the UK Olympic Team, but because we deduced that the atmosphere and support for the games would lead to an increase in demand from the home market for sport in general and this would eventually spread to our marketplace.

What are your future plans?

After returning the main hotel back to its original 25 bedrooms, we do not wish to extend the house further, so will be investigating the possibility of increasing our serviced accommodation units.

In 2011 we opened Arnotts house, a three-bedroom self catering property that offers clients the opportunity to use the facilities attached to the main house, dine in the restaurant and use the spa while at the same time offering them increased privacy and independence.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

A hotelier

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Misunderstood, impatient, driven

If you weren’t a hotelier what would you be doing?

Sailing.

Average room rate: £300

Average food spend per head: £70

Average weekly occupancy: 60% Annual (0% in January 95% August)

Staff members: 55