I recently headed down to wonderful Blackpool, and although it was raining outside, the warm welcome at The Gordene Hotel more than made up for it. I joined Julie and Ray who own the accommodation for a mug of tea and a catch up about their recent nomination for a Budget with a Twist eviivo award and about what makes a stay with them so special.
Congratulations on being nominated for our Budget with a Twist, what does being nominated for this award mean to you?
We think it’s a great privilege and an honour to be shortlisted for this award and it proves to us that all of our hard work is paying off.
What makes a stay at The Gordene Hotel different from anywhere else?
It’s the North East hospitality and we go that extra mile, no matter what.
How do you keep guests coming back?
There’s plenty of repeat business. There’s a great warm welcome, we keep the costs reasonable, the cleanliness of the rooms and we just make the guests feel at home. And not forgetting the freshly cooked breakfast, which is to die for, I must admit!
What’s the best part about your job?
Meeting the new guests and greeting the old ones when they return, which is a fantastic feeling. It’s like when you go to an old friends, come in and they give you a big hug- it goes a long way. It makes all worth it.
Can you tell us the story behind how you both got into the industry?
We wanted a new challenge in our lives and we wanted to work together. As Julie has over 20 years experience in the catering and hospitality industry, and myself being great with people, we decided to just do it. My father passed away and instead of wasting my inheritance, we decided to look into being hoteliers. We were given that opportunity and we’d been in Blackpool for two and a half years, so we were ready to start our new adventure. We left two good jobs, a house, children…bye! And we took that step and never looked back. It’s very hard work at times but we love it. Every day brings new guests and challenges into our lives, the days are long and tiring but we meet each day with good morning and a North Eastern smile, whilst serving breakfast.
And for fun, what’s the strangest thing that’s ever been left behind in a guest bedroom?
One guest left some false teeth, he phoned us up and told us to put them away for him, because he was returning the next month! We’ve had absolutely all sorts left behind including a boot, just the one boot, phone chargers, dresses, jumpers, necklaces… but they are all returned to their rightful owners.
To see what other properties are up for an eviivo award click here.