Tag: Ten Hill Place Hotel

Hospitality firm hits new heights as it celebrates 20 years

Charitable venue on track to make 2024 best year yet

A MAJOR player in Scotland’s hospitality sector is celebrating its 20th anniversary in what it anticipates will become its most successful year to date.

Surgeons Quarter Ltd (SQ), the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), is on track to see turnover exceed £12 million, through growth across its conferencing, events and hotel services.

Officially incorporated on 29th September 2003, the organisation was established as the commercial arm of the revered RCSEd estate in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town.

Since its inception it has opened and operates Edinburgh’s largest independent hotel the 129-bed Ten Hill Place Hotel, a high street café, Café 1505, as well managing an array of historic event spaces and a purpose-built conference centre making it one of the Scottish capital’s major names in business tourism.

Since 2010 it has also provided space for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is now one of Edinburgh’s largest performing spaces during the Fringe period.

In 2020 Surgeons Quarter Travel, the most recent addition to the SQ portfolio, opened its doors providing a travel agency service to Members and Fellows of RCSEd as well as the general public.   

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “Celebrating 20 years is an incredible achievement and its down to the determination of our people that ensures we deliver the best experience.

“We’ve learned so much from our dedicated staff over the years. We’re not blind to the fact that hospitality is not renowned for its pay and conditions however we are committed to provide support so our people can thrive, not only in their workplace, but outside of work too.

“This is why we offer numerous opportunities and reward schemes to all of our staff members to not only benefit them at work, but also outside of the office. We can’t wait to watch them and the business grow over the next 20 years.”

The forward thinking SQ has also implemented a number of innovative sustainability initiatives, including installing EV charging ports, removing plastic water bottles from rooms, and partnering with Ecologi. In 2023 the organisation celebrated 15 years of retaining the Gold Green Tourism award.

With 160 employees across the venue, SQ has committed to supporting its staff by taking on their ideas – from sustainability initiatives to free staff meals – through a voluntary committee, SQ Cares.

Reflecting on his time with SQ, General Manager, Mark McKenzie, who celebrates a decade with the organisation this year said: “I stumbled into hospitality years ago and have worked my way up to General Manager. Working in the industry can be tough, but it’s been extremely rewarding doing it at Surgeons Quarter.

“I’m incredibly proud to work for an organisation that looks after its people, the SQ Cares Committee is testament to that.

“We’ve all learnt a lot, but we’re not afraid to try new things to ensure we look after our staff, ensure all our guests and visitors have a first-class experience and implement eco-conscious measures where possible.”

The venue has also been recognised by the Living Wage Foundation (LWF) for ensuring that all members of staff are contributing at least 12% of their salary towards their pension. 7.5% of that comes from the employer – 4.5% more than the required minimum. The organisation was also recognised as the first hospitality business to sign up as a Living Pensions Employer.

As a people-focused organisation, Surgeons Quarter offers industry-leading pay comfortably above the £12.00 per hour LWF Living Wage. On top of this, staff benefit from a 50% discount at all Best Western Hotels, access to an employee assistance programme, Bike2Work scheme, complimentary gym membership and discount cards.

Profits from SQ support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.

For more information on Surgeons Quarter, visit https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/

City centre hotel offers foodie fantasy with exclusive deal

A PREMIER four-star city centre hotel and restaurant is giving back to residents with a chance to rediscover the magic of the city with an exciting exclusive ‘Drinks and Dining’ offer in February.

In partnership with Forever Edinburgh Resident Rewards, Ten Hill Place Hotel is providing the perfect opportunity to relax and recuperate with £50 of food and drink for just £25 per person, saving 50%.

Located on the prime location of Nicholson Street in the buzzing Southside district, the exclusive offer allows guests to experience its relaxed and contemporary restaurant and enjoy locally sourced seasonal dishes paired with carefully selected drinks including its exclusive in-house 1505 gin and 1505 Ale for less.

Mark McKenzie, General Manager of Surgeons Quarter said: “We wanted to help Edinburgh locals beat the winter blues by offering an exclusive offer to city residents.

“The offer is a fantastic opportunity for people to escape in their own city and enjoy a top-class meal for half the price.

“The response so far has been fantastic, and it has been great to have a buzz in the hotel and campus – making for a perfect Valentine’s Day treat.”

Forever Edinburgh works with members, partners, and stakeholders to maintain the profile of Edinburgh as a world-class destination to visit, invest, live, work and study though championing Scotland’s capital city locally, nationally and internationally.

Eleanor Lee, Digital Marketing Lead at Forever Edinburgh said: “Resident Rewards Edinburgh, now in its third year, is an exclusive initiative for Edinburgh residents, offering substantial savings and a chance to try new experiences in the city we all call home.

“The enthusiastic participation of local businesses including the return of partners like Surgeons Quarter underscores the programme’s success and since July 2023, the Resident Rewards landing page has attracted over 57,000 visitors.

Edinburgh is bucking the trend when it comes to footfall to our city centre and was recently declared the top performing city in the UK, and I have no doubt that this is in part thanks to the incredible range of attractions on offer and initiatives like this.”

Bookings can be made by emailing j.hudson@surgeonsquarter.com using the code EHReward50.

Ten Hill Place is run by Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RSCEd) with profits supporting the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.

The offer is valid from Monday 1st February to 29th February 2024 from 1pm-9.30pm, to learn more about the offer, visit: https://edinburgh.org/residentrewards/

More information about Ten Hill Place hotel can be found at: 

https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/accommodation/

Travel agency takes flight after employees’ talent recognised

AN EDINBURGH venue is highlighting its diverse workforce after one employee helped spark the founding of a new division of the business.

With a wide portfolio of businesses including a luxury hotel and city centre cafe, Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh (RCSEd), launched its own travel agency assisted by the skillset of one of its employees.

Justin Mackenzie began his career with Surgeons Quarter as a receptionist in its flagship hotel, Ten Hill Place Hotel, and worked his way up to Guest Services Manager before spearheading the opening of the organisation’s travel agency, SQ Travel after highlighting his previous experience in the sector.

Surgeons Quarter prides itself on providing unparalleled hospitality, as well as inspiring its employees to make a positive difference in and outside of the workplace.

As well as being a Living Wage Employer, it is the first hospitality venue to be a Living Pension Employer, with Surgeons Quarter placing a strong focus on the satisfaction and well-being of its workforce.

Commenting on his time at Surgeons Quarter, Justin said: “Working with people has always been something I love, and Surgeons Quarter recognised my skill set. I didn’t think when I started as a receptionist at Ten Hill Place Hotel, I would end up as a manager of a brand-new travel agency.

“In one of our regular team meetings, we were discussing our careers and what we are interested in. I mentioned that I previously worked at a travel agency when I left school and really enjoyed it. It was always something I considered getting back into. 

“They recognised this and two days later I sat down with our Managing Director Scott Mitchell who asked me if I was interested in being part of the setup of a new venture they were considering, which was SQ Travel.

“We are now growing our team at SQ Travel, it’s an exciting time and knowing I have played such a big part in the formation of the agency is very rewarding.”

Hailing from the Northeast of England, Justin began his career at Hays Travel as a Travel Consultant, seeing the business double in size. Although, always having a keen interest in travel, Justin’s career took him to the hospitality sector across the UK and Spain.

Justin added: “I admire Surgeons Quarter’s ethos around all profits being invested back into funding research for surgeons, which drew me into the job originally. It makes everything feel very rewarding knowing I am helping to contribute to such a worthy cause.

“I would encourage people to consider a career in hospitality, you never know where it will take you!”

Initially set out to streamline travel for surgeons, and now arranging travel and holidays for all, SQ Travel was founded in 2020 and is affiliated with Hays Travel Independence Group.

Surgeons Quarter, Cafe 1305 Scott Mitchell – Managing Director

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter said: “Our staff are the centre of everything we do. We always aim to showcase their strengths and provide them with a platform so they can thrive in their career.

“Justin was the perfect person to be the driving force behind setting up and pushing forward SQ Travel, he had experience, passion and was eager to get the business started. We wouldn’t be here today without him.

“We take great pride in the passion our employees have for the work they do and services they deliver. We know that a career in hospitality can be challenging, which is why we’re committed to doing everything we can to support our people.”

Surgeons Quarter employs around 200 people across its venues, the majority of which hold operations-based in person roles.

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. It includes facilities for conferences, meetings, private events, parties, weddings and its own four-star hotel Ten Hill Place as well as Café 1505 and SQ Travel. 

Profits from the Surgeons Quarter portfolio go towards the advancement of surgery and the improvement of patient outcomes worldwide. 

More information on SQ Travel can be found here: https://www.sqtravel.co.uk/

More information about Surgeons Quarter can be found at: https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/  

Surgeons Quarter full of beans with new coffee partnerships

Hospitality venues adopt new partners to drive sustainability efforts

A POPULAR venue which helps to support the advancement of surgery around the world has adopted a range of impressive new sustainability measures.

The moves see Surgeons Quarter serving up a new coffee bean supplier while also delivering a partnership to recycle coffee grinds, as part of a sustainability review across its portfolio.

The organisation, which operates a range of venues to support the work of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), has named workers’ cooperative Equal Exchange as its preferred coffee supplier across all its venues, including luxury hotel Ten Hill Place.

Now the ‘Grown by Women’ coffee range will be used in all espresso and bean-to-cup machines throughout its venues. Grown by Women’s coffee is directly sourced from Equal Exchange’s female cooperative members, and helps support women, their families, and wider communities.

Meanwhile, Surgeons Quarter has also partnered with a farm operated by homelessness charity, Cyrenians, to recycle coffee grinds from its Café 1505 venue on Nicolson Street. The charity’s working farm uses organic waste, including coffee grounds, in its compost.

Stewart Munro, Operations Manager at Surgeons Quarter, said: “We are renowned for our sustainable practices especially in Ten Hill Place Hotel, but we continually seek new partnerships to help us build these practices across the campus.

“We’re delighted to be supporting Equal Exchange by taking them on as our coffee supplier and partnering with Cyrenians to upcycle our coffee grinds in a sustainable way.

“Cyrenians Farm is a fantastic enterprise, we’re already looking at ways to expand the partnership to support the work they do to produce sustainable, organic produce.

“We were also particularly drawn to Equal Exchange’s ethos to invest in crucial initiatives such as mobile health clinics. Given our affiliation to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, we were especially keen to support these enterprises.”

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells, and manages all commercial activities held within the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh campus.

It includes facilities for conferences, meetings, private events, parties, weddings and its own four-star hotel Ten Hill Place as well as Café 1505 and SQ Travel. 

The new partnerships have been implemented following a review of sustainability practices across its venues, in a bid to meet ambitious sustainability goals.

Sophie Bell, Fundraising Manager at Cyrenians said: “Working with Surgeons Quarter is an exciting opportunity for us, we’re impressed by their commitment to work with likeminded enterprises.

“Our farm aims to foster a sense of community and supports our work to tackle the causes of homelessness. We’re excited to be partnering with Surgeons Quarter’’.

Cyrenians Farm in Kirknewton, West Lothian, is home to a community for young-people aged 16-25 years, and the surrounding working farm is a social enterprise providing opportunities for residents, volunteers, and visitors to grow vegetables, and develop life skills, while being in a trusting and nurturing community

Stewart added: “We have several initiatives in place to offset CO2 and drive sustainable practices in all our venues. Which is why it’s important that the products enjoyed by our customers, guests, and employees are ethically sourced and sustainable, as we want to make a positive difference.

“Undertaking the sustainability review allowed us to make an informed decision about how we could provide the best combination of quality and sustainability in our choice of suppliers.”

Additionally, Surgeons Quarter plans to expand its ethical retail range of products in Café 1505 through Equal Exchange to offer organic fairtrade chocolate, raw honey, and Palestinian extra virgin olive oil.

The review also appointed Scotland based Caffia, a third-generation family-run business, as the new preferred supplier of filter coffee and tea across the Surgeons Quarter venues. Caffia will supply a range of organic, Fairtrade, and Rainforest Alliance coffees and teas.

Profits from the Surgeons Quarter portfolio go towards the advancement of surgery and the improvement of patient outcomes worldwide.

More information about Surgeons Quarter can be found at: 

https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/

Surgeons Quarter celebrates return of business events

Bookings surge results in venue close to matching pre-pandemic levels

ONE of Scotland’s top conference and events businesses is dispelling concerns that the industry would never return to pre-pandemic levels as it reveals a major surge in bookings.

City-centre venue Surgeons Quarter, which promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) campus, has revealed that conference and events bookings made during the six months from April to September 2022 were close to exceeding the organisation’s record-breaking year in 2019.

With still 91 confirmed events and a further 79 internal college bookings to take place in the final quarter of the year alone.

That success is being mirrored in occupancy rates at its 129-room Ten Hill Place, which is sitting at over 98% for September and over 84% for October with encouraging figures recorded for the remainder of the year and into 2023.   

Scott Mitchell is Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, which puts profits back into the historic college, to support RCSEd’s aims of advancing surgical care and improving patient outcomes worldwide.

He said: “Business events are central to the local and national economy – and we want to do all we can to drive that inward investment.

“We’re delighted to get back to these numbers of visitors and it’s encouraging to see such a strong picture for the rest of the year. However, with an ever-changing landscape we are mindful of ongoing industry challenges. 

“During the pandemic, it was worrying to think we may never return to in-person events at this level – which would have been a massive blow to the industry and delegates as there is only so much that can be transferred to a virtual setting. Thankfully, that hasn’t been the case and we’re back playing host to events from all across the world.

“Our venue offers bespoke set ups across sectors and specialities as required – with our teams able to accommodate and cater to hundreds of people at one time.

“The team go above and beyond for delegates and guests – it’s their dedication that sets us apart in Edinburgh and we’re exceptionally proud of their achievements during such a busy period.”

The strong performance and forecasts follow on from a successful August, with the venue hosting more than 160 Festival Fringe performances across 10 spaces – including a new venue adding a further 55 seats – resulting in thousands of fringe-goers being welcomed to the Surgeons Quarter campus throughout the month.

Surgeons Quarter has also invested in its 178-strong team with a selection of certified courses and training offered as multiskilling has been a key aspiration in response to growing demand.

Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh [RCSEd] promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd Campus with profits supporting the charitable aims of the College: education, assessment and advancement of surgical standards worldwide.

For more information on events, conferences and meeting space at Surgeons Quarter visit: https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/conferences-meetings/

Work Hard Play Hard: Holiday bonus offered to hospitality recruits

Surgeons Quarter offers £2000 getaway to all new full time chefs and full time hospitality members

A FLAGBEARER for Scotland’s hospitality industry has cooked up one of the most exciting benefits packages available, in a bid to continue to grow its workforce beyond record levels.

Containing a holiday package worth £2000 plus a further £1000 in cash bonuses, the rewards await new full-time chefs and full-time hospitality team members joining one of Scotland’s busiest conference and events businesses.

To cut through the competitive jobs market, Surgeons Quarter is launching its ‘Work Hard Play Hard’ recruitment campaign in a bid to be the employer of choice in the sector.

The Living Wage accredited organisation will provide the cash perk in the form of a £500 signing on bonus, along with a £500 end of probation reward, alongside the holiday perk after completing 12 months service. In addition, existing staff in these roles are being offered comparable benefits.

As the commercial arm for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Surgeons Quarter has recently expanded to beyond 150 staff, with demand for its conference, events and hotel soaring as restrictions ease.

Surgeons Quarter, Cafe 1305 Scott Mitchell – Managing Director

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “Our Work Hard Play Hard scheme offers extraordinary bonuses that we hope prospective recruits will jump at the chance of.

“Our jam-packed year of events has meant our requirement for staff has risen to new heights and we are striving to become the employer of choice as the sector booms.

“Like the majority of other hospitality firms, we faced the challenge of a skills shortage after the setbacks of the pandemic and Brexit. It is so exciting, now that we are back up and thriving, to be able to provide our recruits with this fantastic and rare opportunity.”

At the beginning of the year, Surgeons Quarter set a target of increasing staff numbers by 70% and has since seen its payroll top 150 people as demand for in-person meetings and events at its prestigious venues surpass pre-Covid levels.

Its latest recruitment scheme aims to continue building these numbers and the firm is still looking to hire hospitality team members and a number of chef roles, including senior sous, junior sous and banqueting chefs.

For full time chefs joining Surgeons Quarter the organisation is uniquely placed to provide six months on site residential accommodation to help people relocate their career to the city.

Scott added: “It was really important that we were not only providing our newest recruits with financial bonuses, but that our loyal and current staff members were also reaping the well-deserved rewards.

In addition to the ‘Work Hard Play Hard’ scheme Surgeons Quarter offers an enhanced employer contribution pension plan at 7.5%. The company also aims to improve mental health by providing access to employee assistance programme, 24/7, 365 days a year as well as complimentary use of their onsite SQ Gym.

Furthermore, the organisation provides access to discounted staff rates in hotels within the UK and globally plus a 30% staff discount is offered on food and beverage in all SQ outlets.  

“As we enter this busy year and experience the events sector spring back to life, we know that all of our employees will be working hard and we want them to know that this will be rightly recognised.”

Surgeons Quarter, Cafe 1305

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in patient outcomes worldwide.

In addition to its four historic event venues, Surgeons Quarter also manages the 129 bedroom Ten Hill Place Hotel, high-street café 1505 and Surgeons Quarter Travel Agency.

For anyone interested in joining the dynamic and award-winning Surgeons Quarter team, please email recruiment@surgeonsquarter.com

For more information on events, conferences and meeting space at Surgeons Quarter visit: https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/conferences-meetings/

Employment surge at Surgeons Quarter as it focuses on recovery

A MAJOR conference and events business is reporting that 2022 is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels – and looks to expand its headcount by 70%.

In a positive sign for Edinburgh’s crucial hospitality and business tourism sectors, Surgeons Quarter – the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) – has experienced demand for in-person meetings and events well ahead of pre-pandemic levels.

The Living Wage-accredited organisation which manages a vast mix of historic and purpose-built RCSEd venues, as well as Ten Hill Place Hotel, Café 1505 and Surgeons Quarter Travel – has seen events and conferences that postponed due to the pandemic rebook their events for 2022 as well as a high level of new enquiries.

This trend which has included new bookings for major conferences such as the Functional Regulatory Genomic Disease Meeting, a conference which will bring together international leaders in the study of genetics of disease in April 2022, has led to Surgeons Quarter returning to operate at close to maximum levels.

As a result, Surgeons Quarter is set to recruit for 60-70 positions during April, May and June.

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “It’s a pleasure to be in a position to expand our hospitality teams again and add vital jobs to help us service the increasing levels of business we’re bringing in.

“It’s important that we get the recovery right – hospitality and the business tourism economy are integral to the city’s overall prosperity. We can see first-hand the direct effect it has on employment.

“In addition to our busy events calendar, Ten Hill Place Hotel is seeing encouraging occupancy levels predicted to exceed the pre pandemic levels.

“To further boost our activities in 2022, we are actively planning for the full return of the Festival Fringe for which we are one of the largest operators – and at the end of the year, we are looking forward to a busy festive period of celebration, which we have all missed in the past 18 months”.

The organisation also launched its first TV advertising campaign on 25th February with the theme highlighting guests will be ‘In Good Hands’ as a reference to its surgical connections and charitable aims which should help further raise its profile.

During the first lockdown Ten Hill Place provided free rooms and meals to key workers tackling the pandemic. Over 2,100 rooms were supplied free of charge at a cost to the company of over £100,000.

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.

For anyone interested in joining the dynamic and award-winning Surgeons Quarter team, please email recruiment@surgeonsquarter.com

For more information on events, conferences and meeting space at Surgeons Quarter visit: https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/conferences-meetings/

International guests can book directly by visiting Surgeons Quarter’s own travel agency at: https://www.sqtravel.co.uk/

Edinburgh Hotel Chef’s Recipe for Success

AN EDINBURGH hotel chef who fed thousands of NHS workers during the Coronavirus pandemic reveals how they helped fuel frontline medics.

Alan Dickson, Executive Chef at Surgeons Quarter, was part of the star hospitality team which kept Ten Hill Place Hotel open to accommodate NHS workers for free in March and April.

At the beginning, Alan took the decision to strip the usual menus back, focusing on ensuring the team had enough tinned goods, flour, and yeast to last them six weeks.

Alan, who lives in Edinburgh, said: “Working in the kitchen was instantly different – there were three chefs on rotation with only one working at a time. We brought in new health and safety precautions immediately, we couldn’t take any risks with the NHS staff who were staying with us.

“Like most people, we didn’t really know what we were about to face at the start of the pandemic. We knew fresh fish and meats would be a little more difficult to get, so we redesigned the menu around what we had available.

“As we got to know NHS workers by name and regularly caught up with them after their hectic shifts, we began to appreciate how much many of them were missing their home comforts, so we changed our menus accordingly.

“We served lots of chicken curry, lasagnes – the type of home cooked meals you’d have with your family. It meant a lot to us to be able to provide some sort of support to the people at the very front of this pandemic.”

The Hotel, which is owned by Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, took the decision to provide more than 2,000 nights of free accommodation and meals for frontline medics working at Edinburgh’s hospitals.

Alan was thrilled with the small part Ten Hill Place staff played in providing respite to hardworking frontline staff.

He continuued: “There wasn’t much we could do, but like everyone else we wanted to help in the one way we could – with our food and expertise. Our guests were fantastic, they were so grateful for the opportunity to stay nearby the hospitals between shifts.

“Our suppliers were also brilliant at communicating with us. We worked with one amazing butcher and one fruit and veg supplier – Campbells Prime Meat and Mark Murphy Fruit and Veg – who were able to source what we needed.

“We ended up sourcing around 200kg of sausages, and 200kg of bacon for cooked breakfasts – as well as providing healthy packs our medics could take to work, with fruit, yoghurt and water bottles.”

Alan joined Ten Hill Place in 2014 and was awarded Hotel Chef of the Year 2017 at the Scottish Hotel Awards.

The hotel reopened on 15 July in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.

Cafe 1505 and Drinks & Dining at Ten Hill Place Hotel are both taking part in the Eat Out to Dine Out scheme for the duration of August.

Guests can receive 50% off their bill in the cafe or the restaurant, to a maximum value of £10, at any time from Monday – Wednesday.

Profits from the Hotel go towards the College’s charitable objectives of improving access to surgery and saving lives worldwide.

Ten Hill Place Hotel gave a total of 2,137 free room nights to NHS staff working in Edinburgh’s hospitals between March – May this year.

Hospital workers check in to city hotel

FRONTLINE workers leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Edinburgh are booking in to the city’s largest independent hotel after it committed to offering free rooms and meals.

Since opening its doors on Friday evening to help clinical and medical staff at the capital’s hospitals, Ten Hill Place witnessed more than 232 room nights booked over the weekend into Wednesday, accommodating guests over the coming weeks.

The hotel, owned by The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) and operated by Surgeons Quarter, is located less than a mile from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and three miles from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

It is now calling on even more workers to make use of its 129 bedrooms – and as well as offering a continental packed breakfast it is also now including a free evening meal courtesy of its award-winning catering team.

The huge effort has drawn praise from the RCSEd President, Professor Michael Griffin, regarded as one of the UK’s leading surgeons. He said: “COVID-19 is unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes – and I know the strain it is putting across all aspects of our wonderful health service.

“The team at Ten Hill Place are giving tired workers vital respite to allow them to focus on caring for the country.

“The decision by Scott Mitchell, supported very strongly by myself and our team, to open the Hotel up to healthcare workers who are finding it difficult to get in on public transport was a brave but generous one.  We are helping them to help us, our families and our friends as they fall ill from any condition, not just COVID-19.

“We simply can’t put a value on this. The work Surgeons Quarter has been doing is truly outstanding and admirable – everyone at the College is extremely proud.”

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director at Surgeons Quarter, said: “This is a really challenging time for everyone in the world.

“We are happy to be able to play a small part in helping to make the lives of our heroic Medical and Clinical workforce at the frontline of Scotland’s response to COVID-19 that little bit easier.

“We have been taken aback by the positive response to opening the hotel to NHS staff and the wider Medical and Clinical workforce and want to encourage those who are able to take advantage of our city centre location to get in touch.

“Ten Hill Place has 129 hotel rooms which are available to a variety of key workers carrying a valid hospital photographic identity card or similar.  Please contact the hotel on 0131 662 2080 or by email at reservations@tenhillplace.com to make your booking.

“We look forward to continuing to welcome and looking after our NHS staff and wider Clinical and Medical workforce over the next few weeks.”

As well as the commitment to hospital staff, the RCSEd has engaged with the Chief Medical Officer to declare its willingness to temporarily convert the hotel, should hospitals overflow.

Surgeons Quarter has also pledged to pay all 76 salaried and contracted staff over at least the next three months, while adding discretionary sick pay at full levels.

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.

Ten Hill Place Hotel can be contacted on 0131 662 2080 or reservations@tenhillplace.com

Seedy Hotel?

Edinburgh hotel swaps single-use plastics for Scottish wildflowers

THE LARGEST independent hotel in Edinburgh has removed single-use plastic toiletries from their bedrooms, instead offering guests the gift of Scotland’s natural beauty.

Guests at Ten Hill Place Hotel are being encouraged to take home their free packet of Scottish wildflower seeds, available in every bedroom, to plant this spring.

The decision is the latest in the four-star hotel’s series of sustainable changes which have included removing plastic water bottles and introducing recycling waste management on every floor.

The hotel is run by Surgeons Quarter, the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RSCEd). All profits made by the hotel and Surgeons Quarter’s six other venues are put towards the College’s charitable aims of improving patient outcome and advancing surgical standards across the world.

Scott Mitchell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “It’s really important to us that we make decisions which positively impact the environment as well as our guests.

“As part of our feedback, we ask guests for suggestions on how we can become more environmentally-friendly – we’ve made some small but powerful changes over the past few months as a result.

“After taking the decision to remove single-use toiletries and plastic bottles of water from our 129 rooms, we wanted to give something back to our guests – what better to give guests than a reminder of Scotland to bring home with them?”

Surgeons Quarter partnered with UK company Seed Promotions to create a customised selection of Scottish wildflower seeds, which include trefoil birdsfoot, poppy and ox-eye daisy seeds.

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Claire Sellars at Seed Promotions said: “The team at Surgeons Quarter is really ahead of the curve when it comes to creative ways to be more sustainable.

“Scotland is home to around 1,600 native flowering plants which help to support wildlife across the country. It’s really brilliant to see Surgeons Quarter supporting Scotland’s natural wildlife in this way.”

The hotel, located in Edinburgh’s Old Town, has been recognised with a Gold Green Tourism Award which promotes sustainable tourism worldwide.

Ten Hill Place changes its menus with the seasons to make the most of Scotland’s natural larder, sourcing as much local produce as possible.

The hotel has also taken the decision to implement low flow showers and chemical free cleaning systems, and offers guests the option of not changing their towels and bedding daily to save water. A selection of toiletries will remain available at the reception of Ten Hill Place for guest use.

Surgeons Quarter promotes, sells and manages all commercial activities held within the RCSEd campus. All profits support the charitable aims of the College which are education, assessment and advancement in surgical standards worldwide.