Experiencing Glenapp Castle with John Orr, Guest Relations Manager

I love the atmosphere of the Castle, the feeling of warm hospitality and comfort. I like that it never feels stuffy or overly formal. It maintains the correct balance to allow the guests to relax knowing everything will be done correctly. My favourite time is late afternoon especially in winter when the lights are low, guests have returned for the day, the drawing room fire is lit, and guests are relaxing and chatting over a drink at the fireside. I love the people we get to meet. Especially when they choose to return. Our guests have the world to choose from, yet many choose to return to castle, how lucky are we? Many take a great interest in the castle and invest their time to get to know the staff. Many guests have been with us from the beginning of the Glenapp journey, when they return you can pick up where you left off. Guests have their own frequency when they return, some monthly, others yearly, but there is a resonance, if you are here long enough to see it. It’s a pleasure to welcome them back.

I have great help from Chris our Reservation Manager who interacts with the guest and tailors a stay to their preference prior to arrival. We then have a detailed handover to me. We ask guest to tell us if they have any special requests, and we will do whatever is necessary to deliver! I had Middle Eastern guest last year who wanted to try the winter sport of Curling.  We arranged a private visit to a curling rink, and they spent the day and were taught by a team of wonderful curlers. The guests had a great day and were quite emotional at the end when the coach placed her precious Olympic gold medal around the child’s neck.

The apartment gives the guest the space of a stately home, yet this is located on top of an amazing castle hotel It’s the best of both worlds! I want my guests to relax into the space, my relationship with the guests changes with who we meet, I judge it each time and sense the level of interaction they are looking for.

The Endeavour provides space for guest to find a quiet spot to rest and recharge. Many guests lead high profile lives and sometimes home does not offer the break that we often need. I believe that time is our most precious commodity. I want to ensure guests leave the castle having re connected with loved ones, renewed, and restored. That’s time well spent! When guests stay for a period of time, they sometimes choose to go off piste with the menu. Pizza and film night in the apartment cinema room can be fun for everyone. The cinema room also has all the streaming channels and the latest games console. My favourite space is the Apartment library were I often see a slow game of Chess or Monopoly occurring.  These games can last for days.

Enjoy one of our 75+ activities and experiences, archery is great fun or spend some time with nature walking through the Glen. The Castle has so many quiet spots to just spend time looking out to Ailsa Craig with a cup of coffee or even a whisky – it is a very peaceful place where you can just escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and breathe in that fresh sea air!