£100K Investment Reaps Rewards

Celebrating 15 years under the watchful eye of Scott and Penny Edwards this year, Parklands Boutique Hotel with Dining is the only Perth city based hotel to receive a shortlist in the upcoming, third annual Prestige Hotel Awards. 

The awards, which were created to showcase and reward outstanding service within the hotel industry in Scotland, are voted for by the public making this fantastic honour all the more rewarding for the Parklands team. And to make it even better, they are shortlisted in four categories: Best Dining Experience, Best Hotel under 50 rooms, Best Value Hotel and Best City Hotel.

The shortlist accolade comes hot on the heels of the recent announcement that Parklands has also secured entry in the Michelin guide for the fifteenth year running, and has been reaccredited as an AA 2 rosette restaurant.  Nice work for the city's only four-star hotel, and one that has remained independently owned since Scott and Penny took over in 2003.  

Our aim always, is to be a great, small hotel that acts like a big one!Scott commented, “As any small business owner will tell you, these things are never just fluke, and these accolades follow three years of significant investment.

Our aim always, is to be a great, small hotel that acts like a big one!  To be shortlisted in four categories as the only hotel representing Perth city is an incredible honour for us, and pays testament to the hard work and commitment of our entire team."  

Overlooking their award-winning gardens and the stunning South Inch Park, Parklands boasts fifteen individually decorated bedrooms, two award-winning restaurants, two meeting rooms, and a lounge bar. They offer a seamless blend of services for their local guests – weddings, corporate and non-residential dining – and high-end Scottish hotel accommodation for Perth’s many tourists. 

Scott continued: “The tourism industry, like so many others, is facing a challenging time and we know there is a temptation to cut back costs on things like capital investment and team development.  However, we've gone the other way and have chosen to invest £100,000 over the past 3 years. In short, we remain firmly committed to ensuring our offer remains at the quality end of the market."

The decision 15 years ago to aim for four-star hotel status has always given Parklands a USP that sets it apart.  Since then, and including the £100,000 Scott refers to above, the Edwards have invested over £500,000 refurbishing all areas of the hotel. 

Penny is the main influence behind this side of the business, and her keen eye, and attention to detail has ensured they remain true to the beautiful Georgian building while offering their guests an exceptional standard of comfort, contemporary style and cutting edge technology throughout. 

GALLERY

As you might expect with a six-figure investment, all fifteen rooms have been re-decorated in the past 18 months, with bespoke soft furnishings made by local makers, Acorn Fabrics - supporting other local Indies is a subject Scott will talk about for hours!  As well as these high standards of décor, all rooms boast SMART tvs, dab radios and of course, free wi-fi as standard.

With comfort, style and service in place, Parklands has gone one step further in differentiating itself through an exceptional food and drink offer. In 2017 the brand was refreshed to include ‘with Dining’ in the name, reflecting their commitment to sourcing and working with only the very best in local, seasonal produce. 

Scott explained: "Food and drink is at the heart of Parklands and as a long-standing holder of Visit Scotland’s  “Taste Our Best” award, we are demonstrably committed to Scottish produce.  Graeme Pallister, from our sister business 63 Tay Street, continues to oversee the food offering here and so when it comes to creating great menus, we fall under his mantra of local, honest, simple." 

Food and drink is at the heart of Parklands and as a long-standing holder of Visit Scotland’s  “Taste Our Best” award, we are demonstrably committed to Scottish produce.The hotel offers two dining options and a well-stocked bar all year round, which are open to both accommodation guests and non-residents - if you've never been, this is your chance!  No 1 the Bank Bistro is a casual, lunch and dinner option while 63@Parklands offers 2 AA rosette standard food in a separate restaurant area.  In fact, their Sunday Fizz lunch offer is a firm favourite of the Small City Team since Holly's review last year. 

In summer they open the terrace, which brings a third eating and drinking option into the mix.  Heaters, parasols and unrivalled views make it a popular choice with guests, and an upmarket alternative to the city’s beer gardens for locals.

So out of it all, what was the magic ingredient that caused so many people to vote for Parklands in these awards?

"I think it was a bit of everything if I'm honest. Our approach is simple; we are dedicated to the industry, to using local suppliers and to developing our people. Providing visitors to Perth with an exceptional experience is the promise we’ve built our business on, and I am delighted that our team have been rewarded with this prestigious shortlist as a result.”