Latest news with #AAHoteloftheYear
Business Wire
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Down Hall Hotel & Spa Selects DNA Payments to Improve Guest Payment Experience
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Down Hall Hotel & Spa, one of the UK's most prestigious country house hotels, has selected DNA Payments as its new integrated payments provider. Located in Hatfield Heath, Down Hall is renowned for its luxurious accommodation and dining and was named an AA Hotel of the Year for England in 2024. To further improve its complete guest experience, Down Hall chose to move from its existing payment solution which used the OPERA on-premise technology solution to OPERA Cloud, replacing its existing stand-alone payments provider with a more robust and flexible integrated solution. DNA Payments' services, which fully integrate with Oracle's OPERA platform, delivered this frictionless experience for guests and staff. "We're delighted to be working with DNA Payments," says Linden Beattie, General Manager at Down Hall Hotel, Spa & Estate. "Their Oracle OPERA integration has genuinely transformed and improved our payment process for both guests and staff, delivering an effortless and highly secure experience.' 'We were particularly impressed that setup and onboarding progressed without a single hitch, leading directly to significant operational efficiencies and reconciliation improvements across the board." "Payments are a make-or-break moment for the hotel guest experience. They're often one of the last interactions that a guest has with a hotel, so the experience must be seamless and secure," said Jan-Pieter Lips, CEO at DNA Payments. "It's been a real pleasure to work with Down Hall to bring simple, unified payments to their guests." About DNA Payments DNA Payments is a leading independent, full-service omnichannel payments provider, offering a wide range of payment solutions to businesses of all sizes. With a focus on innovation and customer service, DNA Payments empowers businesses to accept payments seamlessly across all channels.
Irish Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Inside Andy Murray's staggering net worth and how he's made his millions
Sir Andy Murray has been listed as one of the UK's wealthiest sportspeople in the latest Sunday Times Rich List 2025. The retired tennis star, who ended his career at the Paris Olympics last year, features on the '40 Under 40' list, which ranks the richest individuals in Britain under the age of 40. His impressive net worth of £110 million places him joint 35th on the list, with his wealth increasing by £10 million over the past year. It's hardly a shock to see Murray's vast fortune, given that he earned nearly £52 million in winnings during his successful career, where he clinched three major titles and two Olympic gold medals. However, Murray's wealth isn't solely derived from his tennis career; he and his wife Kim have made several astute business decisions in recent years, reports Wales Online. Together, they own the luxurious five-star Cromlix House hotel near Murray's hometown of Dunblane in Scotland, where they hosted their wedding reception in 2015 after tying the knot at the town's cathedral. The couple snapped up the hotel two years ago for a cool £1.8 million, with Murray's brother Jamie tying the knot there and his grandparents marking their anniversaries at the same spot. Boasting 34 acres of private land and woodlands, the plush hotel features 10 bedrooms, five suites, a one-bedroom lodge, not to mention its own chapel, tennis court, pickleball court, and a top-notch restaurant helmed by an acclaimed chef. Originally built as a Victorian mansion, it has been in the Drummond family for generations and was managed by a company until December 2022, when the Murrays took the reins of the establishment. Following a lavish makeover, the hotel now ranks among Scotland's most exclusive getaways, with stays ranging from £350 to £950 per night, as listed on KAYAK. While Andy Murray winds down his tennis days and surprisingly joins Novak Djokovic's coaching squad, Kim is lauded as the "creative force" behind the hotel, actively influencing its style and ambiance. Kim, who once mulled over art college and ran a pet portrait venture called Brushes and Paws, has no official interior design training, yet she shared her creative journey with Country Living magazine. "We'd finished having children and we'd finished building our house, so it seemed the perfect time," she confided to the magazine, sharing the trials and tribulations of hotel management. "Having little kids has been all-consuming. "Renovating the hotel has enabled me to come out of motherhood and create something different. I think of it as a family project. Maybe in 15 years, the kids will be interested in it. I want to see where it takes us." After bagging the AA Hotel of the Year award for Scotland, Murray posted a sweet shoutout to his missus on social media, expressing pride over her tremendous effort. The sportsman shared a snap of Kim holding the trophy and cheekily remarked on Instagram: "At least someone in the family can still win stuff. Congrats to my wife and all the team @cromlixhotel for winning the AA Hotel of the year award for Scotland." But the journey hasn't been a walk in the park, with the hotel recording yet another hefty loss during the last financial cycle. In a March report by CityAM, it surfaced that the business chalked up losses of £369,045 for the period ending March 2024. Although the figure is a worrying loss, it is less severe than the prior year's shortfall, when the hotel was down by a staggering £919,572. The last time the establishment saw profit was in 2022, boasting earnings of £416,442. Elsewhere, the dynamic duo recently celebrated the debut of their hotel's exclusive gin brand, infused with botanicals found right on the estate grounds. Tennis legend Andy Murray has joined forces with craft gin maker Wildfire Gin to launch Cromlix Gin, featuring botanicals like raspberry leaf and milk thistle from his hotel garden, using water sourced directly from the grounds. Murray, who also holds a stake in sportswear brand Castore, known for kitting out Everton and Newcastle United, has worked with them to create his own AMC clothing line. "I'd wanted to set up my own apparel brand for a long time," the tennis star shared about his venture with Castore, which became his official kit partner in 2019. "I felt there was a clear gap in the market for stylish tennis wear and so, with my team, we identified Castore as a brand that could help me deliver something I felt really proud of. "I like the fact that they are a British brand, set up by two brothers, and that sustainability is important to them. I think the most important thing is to be true to who you are. If a brand partnership doesn't feel genuine, people can quite quickly see through that and it just doesn't work."
