My working life..

Feb 29 2008

Robert Gilmour, managing director, Calinet and HotelReviewScotland.com

It may have been the highlight of the hospitality industry calendar, with almost 500 hoteliers and staff celebrating the best of their trade at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh on Sunday night.

But the man behind the fifth annual Scottish Hotels of the Year Awards isn't about to take a break.

Robert Gilmour, pictured right, was up early the next day and back to Perthshire from where he runs his trio of hotels, a thriving internet business and the annual 'Oscars' of the Scottish hotel trade.

"I was so consumed with what was going on, I almost forgot to have a drink and I woke up the next morning feeling like a spring chicken," says Gilmour.

As owner of three hotels - the Dunalastair and the Loch Tummel Inn near Pitlochry, and the Weem Hotel in Aberfeldy, Gilmour might be kicking back and relaxing during the traditional slow season in the Highlands.

Instead, diversification is the way Gilmour evens the ups and downs that hit the balance sheet.

With his internet venture Calinet, which specialises in hotel industry web services, and HotelReviewScotland.com, the independent review site he brought into the fold in 2006, he keeps busy all year round. Very busy.

"Oh crikey, I'm probably on the verge of doing 100 hours a week," he admits.

"My other team members are about the same. We believe that is the way to do it. We don't have a nine to five, Monday to Friday mentality.

"It is not a criticism of other agencies, but people travel 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is no good being in the travel industry closing your doors at 5pm on a Friday night and opening again 9am on Monday."

Although he travels around regularly, Gilmour is running the businesses from his office at the Dunalastair four to six days of the week. Recently the group opened an office in Glasgow - although he says they haven't had the time to move in yet.