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Glenisle Refurbishment
The Glenisle Hotel is one of the oldest hotels on the island and therefore has grown, changed and evolved
as time has passed. Our aim in this refurbishment has been to retain the charm and character of this much-loved
hotel while increasing the comfort and the standards that we expect when we travel today.
The Glenisle Hotel has become a true product of Arran
The inspiration for the interior redesign has been Arran itself. The colours reflect the heather of the hills,
the grey of driftwood and the shifting colours of the sea. You will find these colours in choice of wall colours,
the shade of the wood, in the carpets, the curtains and the furnishings.
Arran arts and crafts men and women are also represented as we aimed to work with as many islanders as possible.
All the trades involved in the project were islanders including: joiners, electricians, decorators, flooring, cushions,
curtains and roofers.
Our new front desk was created by Andy Surridge of
Baroque Woodwork in Whiting Bay using panelling reclaimed from the old White House
in Lamlash. He also provided a beautiful new wood bar top. The cushions and new curtains have been
created by Janelle at The Curtain House in Lamlash.
The restaurant and snug feature artwork from local painters provided
by the Arran Art Gallery in Whiting Bay.
Protecting the Environment
Much as we all love escaping to the world?s most beautiful areas we can?t get away from the fact that travelling
affects the environment. As hoteliers we feel that we need to do as much as we can to protect Arran?s
natural beauty. Our new lighting focuses on modern technology both in the light fixtures and the bulbs
themselves to cut down on the electricity we use. The corridors now feature motion sensors which turn on the lights so
that the lighting doesn't need to be left on all night. We have replaced all our bedrooms? electric heaters with
a new radiator system and are moving forward with plans to change to renewable fuels. Old buildings lose a
lot of heat and we have made a good beginning at bringing the Glenisle?s insulation up to modern standards
having added insulation to the roof and many of the exterior walls. This is all part
of our on-going commitment to keeping Arran green.
The Team
We are very pleased to be working with noted interior designer
Adrienne Chinn, author of The Home Decorator's Colour
and Texture Sourcebook. Our new lighting has been designed by Rebecca Weir of
LightIQ.
The Isle of Arran is blessed with a very high standard of tradesmen and women and we are proud to have worked with so many of them on
the refurbishment project. The team who brought the refurbishment to completion are:
And special thanks to the Glenisle staff who spent weeks stripping wallpaper at the beginning of project and then moved heaven and earth to
get the hotel spic and span to open right on schedule. It was an amazing accomplishment that was achieved through sheer determination
and a lot of very hard work.
Is there still more to do?
Since we can only do major work in the off season our full plans will take a number of years to complete.
However, you will still notice a great change since last year.
I kept a weekly blog of the "blow by blow" details so click here if you'd like to find out more about what was involved.
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