THE Devonshire Hotels and Restaurants Group has announced the appointment of new operations manager.Robert McKay.

Robert joins the team from The Airds Hotel at Port Appin, near Oban, in the Scottish Highlands. In his new role he will oversee the Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, the Devonshire Fell at Burnsall, the Cavendish Pavilion and Yorkshire Boltholes.

Robert is a highly accomplished general manager whose professional awards and achievements reflect the breadth of his hospitality career, which has included managing establishments in London and the Falkland Islands, as well luxury hotels within his native Scotland. His business and financial acumen has also been honed during a period where he owned and managed three profitable businesses of his own in the resort town of Oban.

During a second period of managing The Airds, a four red star property which he had overseen a decade earlier, escalating this coastal boutique hotel to becoming a member of the highly regarded Relais & Chateaux and Pride of Britain organisations and sustaining three AA rosette status for the hotel’s restaurant, Robert was also himself awarded ‘Hotel General Manager of the Year’ by Luxury Life and retained the ‘Inspector’s Choice’ within the AA Awards system

Robert is a strategist, with excellent business, operational and financial skills and is also highly self-motivated. In addition, he possesses the interpersonal and communication skills which optimises both successful engagement with his teams and which will serve him well in this customer-facing role.

Richard Palmer, managing director of The Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa said: “It’s with great pleasure that we welcome Robert to the Devonshire family. Following a challenging period of uncertainty for all hospitality businesses, including our own, we are now confidently back on track as we enter a dynamic period of growth and development across the Group.

I am confident that Robert’s proven business acumen and luxury marketing flair, combined with his personable character will prove to be most beneficial to us. I wish him success in his professional role, and also for Robert and family to be happy here in their new Yorkshire home”.

Robert McKay added: “After several years in my last role, despite being extremely comfortable, I found myself yearning for a new challenge, where I could gain satisfaction from seeing my experience and vision come to fruition so the operations manager role feels an excellent fit for me at this time in my career.

“I am very much looking forward to growing into my new position here, and in due course delivering an even more exceptional guest experience here at these much loved and highly-regarded country properties.”