A Portrush hotel run by a mum and daughter duo has snapped up three hospitality awards.
Portstewart woman Charlotte Dixon was a few short years ago on a completely different path as a doctor living in Manchester, but decided to open up the Elephant Rock hotel with her mother Heather.
Last month, it won three Irish Hotel Awards - Boutique Hotel of the Year, Romantic Hotel of the Year and 4 Star Hotel of the Year - and the Boutique Hotel of the Year at the Georgina Campbell Awards.
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Charlotte worked for years to become a doctor and attained a PhD in Chemistry in 2018, but it was a hotel and not a laboratory that would win her heart.
She said: "If someone told me four years ago that I’d be running a hotel with my mum and that we’d win big at respected hospitality awards, I wouldn’t have believed them.
"I had zero hospitality experience, I’m not someone who was surrounded by hoteliers. I moved to St Andrew’s at 18 to study and then to Manchester where I worked for an academic publisher and that’s where I thought my life and career were taking me."
Charlotte and her mother, described as an integral part of the hotel’s success, heard locally that a building was going up for sale and they were convinced to take a look.
Charlotte added: “As soon as I saw the building something just clicked – I can’t explain it any better than that really. I could see the obvious business potential, but it was more than that. It was the excitement as I walked round and began to visualise what we could achieve with the place.”
The building that was to become the Elephant Rock Boutique Hotel had 'an immediate impact'.
The 33-year-old continued: "On the drive up to the hotel it was the stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, visible from many of the rooms, that made me catch my breath. I thought to myself, ‘who wouldn’t want to wake up to that view’; it never gets old and there’s something so calming and energising about being close to water.
"On the property tour we could see that it had good bones however the interior needed a total makeover. There wasn’t a single room that didn’t need attention, which we knew would put many people off but to us that was part of the reason why we wanted it. We realised we had a unique opportunity to breathe new life into this building, showcase a place I love so much, create jobs and a property that would reflect our own personal style whilst making the most of the incredible location.
“My mum was always ahead of the curve and daring when it came to her style. I knew that we had the vision to create a bold, vibrant, welcoming space. We love local food and drink so we had no worries that there would be experts with whom we could collaborate to create a menu that people would enjoy.”
The duo undertook a 14-month long renovation, added four new bedrooms and opened in February 2022.
Charlotte said: "I had complete faith that we would make a success of it. The area is jam packed with world-class tourist attractions and golf courses, the views are phenomenal, the local people are incredible, and we have events taking place all the time that attract thousands of people."
The interior was the idea of Charlotte and her mother and they enlisted the help of interior designer, Adrian Bailie.
“Adrian is a massive talent who helped us to bring our vision to life in a truly unforgettable way. Guests are so complimentary about every aspect of the interior – it’s definitely one of our unique selling points.
“From the cosy bar, chic restaurant, our multi-use function room, Vi’s, where we host private events and weddings, to the bedrooms and restrooms. We wanted to make a statement with the interior: we wanted to be bold not bland, have fun with colour and create spaces that would make our guests smile.
“We have eighteen individually styled rooms, each with its own unique personality and feel. Our cocktail bar is the heart of the hotel and restaurant area but once seated, it’s the sea views from our many windows that mesmerise our guests", Charlotte added.
She continued: “I wanted to create a dream hotel that I would love to stay in. Elephant Rock is the result and I am overjoyed every time a guest responds to it with positivity.
“I’m so proud to be a local employer; we have thirty-five amazing people working at the hotel, all of them dedicated to giving our guests the best possible experience. Our staff are the heart of the hotel and we count ourselves incredibly fortunate to have such a great team.
"Not only that but we’ve helped to boost the local economy, which has had a knock-on effect on tourism providers and food and drink producers in the area."
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