One of Aberdeenshire’s most historic hotels has underlined its reputation as a high-end leisure destination driven by an increase in new wedding bookings and enquiries over recent months.
Macdonald Pittodrie House, located at Chapel of Garioch, near Inverurie, is a luxury boutique hotel set within 300 acres of private estate land with breathtaking views of Bennachie and the surrounding area.
This picturesque setting, including woodlands and extensive lawns, makes the hotel a popular choice for everything from romantic breaks and family holidays to team-building events and conferences available for private hire.
The hotel is especially renowned for weddings with bespoke options available such as exclusive use of the hotel and expansive grounds. Similarly, its dedicated team of wedding professionals have won several awards recognising their commitment to providing first class customer service to brides and grooms.
Complementing the existing team, Julie Hutchison recently joined the hotel as manager having enjoyed a similar role at sister venue Macdonald Norwood Hall in Aberdeen.
She will lead day-to-day operations while helping drive customer growth in both the surrounding area and further afield, further enhancing the hotel’s status as a wedding destination of choice.
A psychology graduate from St Andrews University, Julie previously completed a degree in international tourism and hospitality management at Robert Gordon University. She has over a decade’s experience working in a variety of operations and customer-facing roles for global brands, such as Hilton and Marriott, as well as the world-famous Old Course Hotel.
Julie Hutchison, hotel manager at Macdonald Pittodrie House
Julie Hutchison, hotel manager at Macdonald Pittodrie House, commented: “I’m excited to have the opportunity to lead the team at Macdonald Pittodrie House and look forward to making a positive difference for our new and returning guests, team members and local community, which will ultimately help the business achieve its goals.
“We have an extremely talented team in place across all aspects of the business and I’ve been hugely impressed with their dedication since starting this role. We are now looking to grow the team with further recruitment planned this year thanks to an encouraging pipeline of events, conferences and weddings booked.
“The hotel has always had a strong reputation for hosting wedding ceremonies of all sizes and we take great pride in providing brides and grooms with the high levels of service and customer care they rightly expect.
“We are extremely fortunate to get to work every day in this fantastic setting and enjoy the amazing natural landscape and plentiful outdoor space we have on our doorstep, which allows our wedding professionals to incorporate creative touches into every ceremony they plan.”
With the design of each wedding personalised to suit couples’ specific wishes, Macdonald Pittodrie House can cater for ceremonies with up to 100 people in the venue’s ballroom to smaller, more intimate affairs in the library or private function rooms.
The hotel’s dedicated team works in harmony with each couple to understand exactly what they are looking to achieve from their wedding and ensure that every guest has a positive and memorable experience from start to finish.
Similarly, the menu for each wedding or event can be tailor-made to suit individual tastes or preferences whilst retaining an emphasis on quality food and drink including locally-sourced produce and fresh ingredients.