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| The Machrie Hotel from the 18th green |
The Machrie Hotel is a very special destination. Set on Isle of Islay on the edge of the Laggan Bay with the 18 hole Championship Machrie Links course and miles of pristine SSSI beach, the hotel has opened its doors again following a complete refurbishment. It now boasts 47 luxury bedrooms including lodges and a duplex suite, restaurant and bar, lounges, spa and even a cinema.
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| The Islay Suite bedroom |
The Vision
The Machrie Golf Links and Hotel share the vision of being the go-to destination for Scottish Island Links Golf. In tandem with the redevelopment of the hotel, the links course also underwent a full reworking to reinstate it as a Championship course and bring it closer to the original Willie Campbell design of 1891. On approaching the Machrie, guests meet the 4-star hotel which sets the precedent for the Machrie experience, in this isolated and alluring location.
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| Golf School |
Our Role
DesignBox provided full project management and employer's agent services for the Machrie Hotel. In addition DesignBox led several exercises including the organisation and connection of utilities (water, electricity, BT & fibre data), asbestos removal, demolition works, preparing accommodation for the site team, the logistical organisation of FF&E and OS&E deliveries and managing meetings.
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| The Reception Lounge |
Key Information & The Team
The hotel was procured under a JCT traditional contract under Scottish Law with Hudson Architects as lead consultant and Morham and Brotchie (Oban) as Quantity Surveyors. Interior design was provided by Peter Young Design with Lighting Design by Victoria Jerram. The Structural and Services Engineers came from the Glasgow offices of David Narro Associates and Hulley and Kirkwood respectively.
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| Machrie 30-seat cinema |
CorraMore Construction from Northern Ireland were appointed as the main contractor for the hotel, accompanied by a number of key subcontractors including EDS(NI) for the services, and JB Interiors for the specialist joinery.
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| The Stag Lounge |
Programme
The development of the Machrie Hotel followed a succession of animated summers. In the summer of 2013 DesignBox was appointed to help secure consent for a mains water connection, a vital asset which had contributed to the Machrie Hotel's closure in 2011. Following consent to connect, in the summer of 2014, with the Client and Hudson Architects we established the design team and developed the design. In the summer of 2016 we started construction with CorraMore and following the installation of FF&E and OS&E, the Machrie Hotel re-opened in the late Summer of 2018.
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| Machrie Hotel at dusk |
Special Mentions
The Machrie Golf Links and Hotel is a truly magical place. The natural environment is full of colour and vibrant light. Every five minutes the scenery takes on a completely different feel. This extraordinary location has been made extra special by some key people: The Clients and Campbell Gray Hotels for sharing and realising their vision for the Machrie Hotel and Golf Links, David (DJ) Russell, Edinburgh Landscaping and the Machrie Green Keeping Team for creating and maintaining this most incredible golf landscape, the hotel's design and contracting teams for executing the design proposals with precision, care and with good humour, but most of all the Clients for seizing the opportunity and having the conviction to create such a special place to share with everyone.
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| Machrie Hotel's commercial kitchen |
