The owners of a well known Moray hotel have been praised for their success in a demanding award scheme which aims to encourage top quality service in the tourism industry.

Donald and Winnie Ross who run the Sunninghill Hotel in Elgin achieved Hospitality Assured accreditation earlier this year and were presented with the award at an event in May. The hotel is the only establishment in Moray to have gained the coveted plaque so far this year.

Hospitality Assured is the recognised standard for service and business excellence in the hospitality industry. The standard is owned and managed by the Hotel and Catering International Management Association (HCIMA) and is endorsed by the British Quality Foundation and Quality Scotland Foundation.

Help with the costs of entering the award scheme was made available to Mr and Mrs Ross from their local enterprise company, HIE Moray. The enterprise company's development manager, Gavin Mackay, said attaining the Hospitality Assured standard requires intensive effort from participating companies to improve the quality of all aspects of their business.

Mr Mackay said: "The management and staff of the Sunninghill Hotel embraced the Hospitality Assured business improvement model with openness, honesty and dedication. This was reflected in the standard and quality of their outputs, achieving excellent scores in every category. The Sunninghill Hotel is a great example of a forward thinking, customer focused business and a real credit to the area."

Mr and Mrs Ross have run the 20-bedroom Sunninghill Hotel, which stands imposingly in its own grounds not far from Elgin's main shopping centre, for the last 28 years. They employ a general manager, Jonathan Orr, and a 28-strong full and part-time workforce. Over the years the couple have extensively refurbished the hotel and built up a top quality restaurant that is not only popular with guests but also attracts substantial outside trade. 

Despite their breadth of experience and knowledge of the industry, they decided to embark on the Hospitality Assured scheme around two years ago because they felt it offered an excellent opportunity to take an in-depth look at all areas of their business.

Mrs Ross explained: "We're committed to offering our guests the best service we possibly can and are always looking at ways in which we can improve. We had been taking part in various initiatives and development schemes and had also undertaken a great deal of staff training. But it was all fairly piecemeal. What attracted us to Hospitality Assured was the fact it was so comprehensive and encompassed all aspects of the business. Also we felt it was the recognized standard in the industry and as such was the one to have."

The challenging scheme requires participants to follow a rigorous 'ten-step' plan containing 49 criteria. The plan takes into account customers' opinion and considers all aspects of the service from their point of view. The information gathered is then collated and used to implement any changes that it is felt are required.

Once participants have completed the ten steps to their own satisfaction, they are visited by representatives from the scheme's assessment body, MQA. Assessors meet and talk to management and staff. Once the company involved are awarded the Hospitality Assured standard they are reassessed on a yearly basis to ensure they continue to meet the criteria.

Said Mrs Ross: "As we worked our way through the ten steps, it affected every department. Staff in the kitchen, housekeeping, front of house and bar all had to work together and take on board everything involved. Everyone tried very hard."

As a result of the scheme several changes have been made including making the hotel Wi-Fi enabled, adding specials on to the restaurant menu and altering the table settings. Notice boards have also been put in place in a bid to make sure that all the staff are kept informed about what is happening at the hotel.

Mrs Ross continued: "We were quite fortunate in that we already had a lot of what was required in place but I really feel that we have benefited from the scheme. It has made us much more aware of customer care and also of how the different departments interact with each other to ensure that our guests' stay is as pleasant as possible. The fact that we have all had to work together towards this standard has made us feel more of a team and also demonstrated how important our staff are to the success of the hotel."