Fife hotel named World’s Best Destination Wedding venue at global awards ceremony

The Balbirnie House Hotel staff who travelled to Malaysia.

The Markinch hotel - Scotland’s 2019 National Wedding Hotel of the Year - beat luxury competitors from all over the globe to win the award at a glittering ceremony on Saturday night.

A six-strong team from Balbirnie travelled to Malaysia to accept the award, including hotel owners Nicholas and Gaynor Russell.

Combined, the team boast over 75 years of experience working at the hotel, and Gaynor Russell said: “It was such an honour to be invited to represent Scotland’s hospitality and hotel sectors.”

Managing Director Nicholas Russell added: “Via The Scottish Hotel Awards scheme, earlier this year Balbirnie House became the 13-time winner of Scotland’s Wedding Hotel of the Year. This was immediately noted by Haute Grandeur, adding yet another further level of contemplation for global judging.

“We are aware that Haute Grandeur are able to deploy research teams globally, but cannot find any hotel in any other country in the world, which has had anything comparable in their own country, to the recognition that Balbirnie House has received here in Scotland.”

“While in Malaysia we were thinking very much of our 2800 past and present work colleagues, our local community, our hotel guests, and all who have been involved in and around The Scottish Hotel Awards scheme over the last 15 years.

“The rigours of dedicated professional integrity within the scheme, have delivered us with an uncompromising and highly focused annual assessment. From that process we’ve always been so very encouraged to keep on embracing innovation, evolution, and all generalities of Hospitality.”

To mark the achievement, Balbirnie House Hotel released blue smoke from the building’s main chimney, and three film clips debuted on the hotel’s Youtube channel, highlighting its journey in the 30 years since opening.

This is the first time the global award for ‘Best Destination Wedding Hotel’, has been received by any hotel in Europe, or indeed the entire Western Hemisphere.