Hospitality Awards 2021

www.lux-review.com Page 19 LUX 2021 Hospitality Awards It’s the perfect location from which to begin your adventure, be it sightseeing, hiking and climbing, skiing. Torlinnhe Guest House stands in the ideal position to offer its tourist guests a luxurious stay, combined with a fine dining experience, and topped off with exceptional customer service. We spoke to owners, Larisa and Mark Rossi, to find out more. Torlinnhe Guest House Guest House of the Year 2021 – Scottish Highlands Aug21233 Known as the ‘Outdoor Capital of the UK’, Fort William, situated on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands, is home to Torlinnhe Guest House. Located just one mile south of Fort William town centre, the award-winning guest house boasts beautiful views over Loch Linnhe and the Ardgour Peninsula, and its accommodation includes eight stylish and modern en-suite rooms, all individually finished and designed, offering exceptional hospitality with quality at its core. Inspired by Scotland’s natural offering and incredible scenery, a major part of any stay at Torlinnhe is the food. As such, at the heart of the guest house sits a light and intimate dining room that overlooks Loch Linnhe with spectacular views of the hills beyond. With a range of dishes on the menu, including breakfast, afternoon tea or dinner, the restaurant is dedicated to using only the freshest, local ingredients with nothing having travelled further than a 20-mile radius. Having worked in Michelin-star hotels and restaurants, Mark and Larissa – alongside their dedicated staff - are able to deliver a best-in-class service time and time again. The hospitality industry has suffered greatly recently, with staffing crises, Brexit uncertainty, ingredient cost increases and wage increases, all at a time when individuals find themselves with less and less disposable income to spend on luxury items like dining out. And what’s more, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s fair to say the industry is being squeezed and pulled in all directions. However, Torlinnhe’s response was to be very light-footed and quickly adapt to the changing landscape. Having been newly self-employed, the owners sought many opportunities offered by the Government for funding help but found that they had to cut back on a lot of their big ideas. However, they continued to offer hot food and afternoon teas as a takeaway service, and also incorporated an authentic American BBQ box menu which customers could take away and heat up in their own homes. “In our recovery, our focus really shifted to ultra-local, supporting as many local producers as we could, and that is something we still uphold today,” explains owner, Larisa Rossi. “We have not seen much change in our guests’ expectations following the pandemic, the small touches in our rooms and the quality of our food still continues to surprise and delight our guests, and we are now starting to see guests returning as well - which is obviously something we are very keen to continue.” Having recently been awarded Guest House of the Year 2021 – Scottish Highlands in the LUXlife Hospitality Awards, it seems that the sky’s the limit for Torlinnhe and Larisa shares her plans for the future with us. “We are currently planning an extension of four additional rooms which should be completed for 2023 season,” she enthuses. “In addition, we will be adding on a conservatory lounge area to the side of the house overlooking the loch, which will have a ‘hygge feel’ with open fire and sheepskin seating.” Sounds idyllic! Contact: Larisa and Mark Rossi Company: Torlinnhe Guest House Web Address: www.torlinnhe.com