Belmore Court & Motel

Reception make the Final - Again!

2012-03-05T12:03:00.000Z

The finalists have just been announced for the 2012 Northern Ireland Hotels Federation Hotel & Guesthouse Reception Team of the Year.

For the second year in a row the Belmore Court & Motel Reception Team have made it through; last year they were honoured to be runners up. The Team currently consists of Michelle, Una, Lena and Angie - with Rachel and Arlene both off on maternity.

The Reception Team of the Year award recognises the everyday running of a Hotel/Guesthouse with an extensive application process firstly followed up by mystery shoppers carrying out two telephone calls, asking the Receptionist on duty how they would deal with different senario's that they may be faced with. This is then followed by a mystery shopper who makes their reservation like any other guest checking in and checking out this is all measured in a scoring format.

Comment cards received and indeed TripAdvisor reports of the Belmore Court & Motel nearly always mention the reception team and how friendly all the staff are. It is another great achievement for the reception team that they have been shortlisted again in 2012.

The competition features a number of mystery shopper both telephoning and staying at our property as well as a couple of caller identifying themselves at the time of the call and then asking questions about the property. Other finalists include
City Hotel Derry
Everglades Hotel
Malone Lodge Hotel and Apts
Radisson Blu Hotel Belfast
Roe Park Resort
Slieve Donard Resort & Spa

There were no other properties in Fermanagh or Tyrone that made is through to the final. Each property will receive two free tickets to the Gala Ball & Awards Night in the Best Western White Horse Hotel. A mystery shopping report will be sent to all entrants in the team category after the completion of the competition - this will help us continue to improve the service we offer to our guests.

The event is sponsored by Avvio, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Life and Appletiser.

Ladies. Are you proposing today?

2012-02-29T09:58:00.001Z

Any ladies proposing today?

If he says yes let us know and we'll give away a Belmore Court & Motel Executive Suite for a 2 night break as a reward. The two of you can relax in luxury.

If he says no we'll give away a Belmore Court & Motel Superior Twin room for a 2 night break as consolation. You are a friend and go up the town and party.

Post on Facebook and tell us some details...... https://www.facebook.com/#!/belmorecourt/posts/10150569967402234

If there is more than one reply we'll draw the winner out of a hat.....

Leap Year has been the traditional time that women can propose marriage.
In many of today's cultures, it is okay for a woman to propose marriage to a man. Society doesn't look down on such women. However, that hasn't always been the case.
When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February 29th.

St. Bridget's Complaint

It is believed this tradition was started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.

February 29th in English Law

According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage.
The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland supposedly passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. Tradition states they also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.

Excitement builds for Beckett Festival

2012-02-26T12:11:00.000Z

There are only a few months left to the first annual Happy Days Festival celebrating Samuel Beckett and as the performers are being named the booking are rolling in for 23 - 27 August 2012.

Officially know as "the World's First Annual Festival celebrating Samuel Beckett Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival", the events will take place at various venues around Enniskillen including Portora Royal School, Ardhowen Theatre & Enniskillen Castle.

There will be a wide range of events which will include the work of Samuel Beckett, influences of Samuel Beckett and events reflecting Samuel Beckett's favourite sports.

The full line up is being announced in April 2012 but already some highlighs have been mentioned; Robert Wilson with Krapp's Last Tape; Ian Bostridge singing Schubert's Winterreise and world class writers like Melvyn Bragg, Enda O'Brien and John Banville.

Happy Days is funded by Arts Council Northern Ireland, Fermanagh District Council & Northern Ireland Tourist Board. The founder and artistic director is Sean Doran.
With so much happening now's the chance to book your room to visit Enniskillen during this exciting time. www.motel.co.uk

Win tickets for Ireland v Italy

2012-02-03T21:48:00.001Z

With the Six nations strating tomorrow we are giving you the chance to go to the Ireland v Italy match in the Aviva statium, Dublin on Saturday 25th February 2012.

Our new Spring into Summer special offer starts today and offers rooms from £65 when staying between the 1st March and 30th September 2012. Our Superior rooms are perfect for business or leisure stays; Finished to the highest of standards, these rooms offer a new level of luxury, space and style. All Superior Double Rooms have a luxurious ensuite with bath or shower (standard or walk-in), multi-channel 32" LCD TV, IPod docking station clock radio, tea & coffee making facilities, direct dial in & out telephone, ironing centre, hairdryer, and Free Wi-Fi.

The winner will receives two side-by-side tickets to go to the Six Nations match to see Ireland take on the Azzurri. We shall post these recorded delivery to ensure they arrive on Friday 23rd February.

To enter all you need to do is follow us on Twitter, @BelmoreCourt, and tweet this message:

I want 2 win Ire v Ita rugby tkts. #RMsfrom£65. 2 enter follow @BelmoreCourt and retweet this! bit.ly/x75C9l

The competition will end at 12 noon on Tuesday 21st February 2012. Each entrant may submit one entry per day (24 hours). The winner will be chosen at random.

Good luck!

Rules and regulations

· To celebrate the Belmore Court & MotelSpring into Summer Sale we have 2 tickets for Ireland v Italy in the Aviva Stadium onSaturday 25^th February 2012.

· To enter the competition all you have to do isfollow us on twitter then re-tweet the competition and thats it!Simple no catch follow us and retweet! Competition will close 12noon on Tuesday 21st February2012

· I want 2 win Ire v Ita rugby tkts. #RMsfrom£65. 2 enter follow @BelmoreCourt and retweet this! bit.ly/x75C9l

Entrants must be residents of the UK and over 18 at time of entry.
The competition is not open to employees or their immediate families of Belmore Court & Motel, its agents or anyone connected with the competition.
No purchase necessary.
No alternative cash prizes.
To enter the Twitter competition your Tweet must cotain “@BelmoreCourt” and “#RMsfrom£65”. If the @ and # have not been used, the entry cannot be considered.
Only one entry per person per day will be counted as a valid entry. Belmore Court & Motel accepts no responsibility for entries not successfully completed due to a technical fault.
The closing date for entries is 12noon on Tuesday 21st February 2012.
Entrants may submit up to one answer per day.
Entries made across all days of the competition will be eligible. One winner will be selected from all valid entries. Belmore Court & Motel decision will be final.
The winner will receive 2 x tickets for Ireland v Italy on Saturday 25^th February 2012
The winner will be notified via a Direct Message on their Twitter account. The winner must claim their prize by 12 noon on Wednesday 22nd February 2012 by replying with their requested contact details.
If the winner fails to claim their prize within the time limit or is otherwise disqualified, their entry will be withdrawn and a new winner will be chosen.
The winner may only publicise their success in the competition AFTER the official winner announcement by Belmore Court & Motel.
Winners may be required to take part in post-event publicity.
All entries become the property of Belmore Court & Motel. By submitting an entry, entrants acknowledge these terms and conditions.
Belmore Court & Motel’s decision is final and no correspondence or other communication will be entered into regarding the draw other than as specifically contemplated in these rules.

Record response to BC&M annual guest survey

2011-12-20T12:16:00.000Z

As part of the Belmore Court & Motel commitment to our customers & Vision of becoming the leading independent accommodation base in Northern Ireland we sent out our annual guest survey a couple of months ago.

Almost 10% of the surveys were returned with some really helpful and useful information; 93% thought that we were achieving our Vision.

It isfantastic to read that more than 99% of respondents found the booking processto be Excellent or Very Good. Comments include; Professional and Competentstaff, Staff extremely helpful, Michelle was so friendly, Staff were quick torespond, Lena friendly as always, & Very helpful. Online comments; Oneclick and done, clear and easy to use & Missed special offer online, butrang and was able to book

It was acredit to the reception team that no one felt that the welcome was poor andthat 99% thought the 1^st impressions, welcome, service and bookingaccuracy were either very good or excellent. This is reflected in the comments;All first class, reception area is always clean and tidy, staff are efficient& approachable and outstanding service as always.

It isalso a credit to the housekeeping department that 99% or guests found thecleanliness of the room to be very good or excellent. And that 97% found themaintenance with a similar breakdown of scores. 2 responses showed thefacilities to be poor. Both these guests stayed in the Motel Standard Rooms.

Commentsincluded; Couldn’t fault a thing, facilities excellent when room price takeninto account and the room was as good as I would expect from a 3 or 4 starhotel.

Not allcomments were positive and these give us opportunity to improve; TV andwireless tend to drop out when least expecting it, no WiFi available, Poor WiFiat times - unstable connection, inwinter it just seemed so cold in the motel rooms and Apartment was a bit musty.

Overallalmost 98% of people felt that we offered value for money – with 46.5 statingour accommodation was Excellent value for money. Comments from very reasonableto relative expensive. Prepay option was excellent.

The vastmajority of people found the Friendliness, Quality and Choice to be very goodor excellent – 93%, 86% & 77% respectively. Only 3% thought he choice couldbe improved. Comments; pleasantly surprised by the quality of food andselection, Varied buffet, fresh and plentiful, Gluten-Free bread was suppliedfor me, It is a good healthy option, Excellent food and healthy and deliciousand plenty of variety.

Negativecomments included; What can you say about toast & cereal?, selection wasn'tgreat, breakfast room was a bit hectic, choice for the breakfast could be improved,cooked breakfast could also be offered, Hot breakfast would be more appealing,perhaps having boiled eggs on offer for a hot breakfast and cooked breakfastoption would be nice.

Describe you experience at the Belmore Court & Motel in 1 sentence;

A greatresponse from this open ended question; Flawless, perfect service and no issueswhatsoever, Superb location, professional service, good value, Friendly,comfortable and great value for money, Convenient location at a reasonableprice, I left the hotel satisfied and willing to return, Great rooms, friendly and helpful staff, Top classfacilities for whoever!!, We felt as if our custom mattered, thank you, Homeaway from home but more relaxing, Relaxing environment where I get a goodsleep, A very enjoyable stay, made by your friendly staff, perfect as a base tovisit surrounding area, First Class accommodation with welcoming staff and accommodationto suit all people and pockets.

Improvements: following the Annual Guest Survey

New Wifi system offering Free Wifi to every customer for the first 30 minutes. £5 per 24hour period after. Executive rooms and longer term corporate clients will receive complimentary Wifi all the time.
New heaters are being installed in the older building housing the Motel Standard Rooms providing a better, more efficient heat which is controllable by the guest and aesthetically more pleasing.
32in LCD Digital TVs are also being installed in the Motel Standard Rooms improving the quality of the stay - better picture and more channels.
It is hoped in the new year we can paint and redecorate the Standard Rooms with the laying of a new carpet.

Congratulations to Mr Andrew McMurray who won the 2 night break in our Executive Suite. Thanks to all who took part in the survey.

1st WallPod installed in Northern Ireland at Belmore Court

2011-12-18T22:40:00.000Z

The no-nonsensepro-active charity Zero Carbon World (ZCW) is dedicated to undertaking projectsthat reduce carbon emissions in the UK today.

To support thedevelopment of a national charging infrastructure and encourage the adoption ofelectric vehicles, ZCW are donating 1000 Electric Vehicle (EV) ‘WallPod’ ChargingStations to businesses around the UK.

Today ZCWannounce the donation of two more WallPods to The Belmore Court & Motel inEnniskillen. Belmore is the first business in Northern Ireland to join ZeroCarbon World.

Each WallPod issimple, robust and reliable. Supporting both a 13-Amp socket and 32-Ampconnector they enable all EV drivers to recharge overnight or ‘top up’ theirvehicles as required.

“There are norestrictions to use our network. You don’t need to be a member, subscribe, payin advance or use a smart card to access electricity. Wherever EV drivers are,they can recharge while eating, sleeping, working or simply relaxing “ saidKevin Sharpe Founder of ZCW and Chair of the Trustees. “We are extremely proudto be creating the UK’s only Open Charging Station Network”.

Terry McCartney, owner of Belmore and TheHigh Sherriff of Fermanagh stated: “Installing a WallPod reconfirms our commitmentto reducing pollution as part of our Green Policy and is visible evidence thatwe support green travel.” He continued: “We are also opening our business to arelatively new market of electric vehicle owners giving them the option of anovernight charge. I am delighted that I am the first in the area to attract EVdrivers to local businesses.”

Growing rapidlywith 66 donations to date, ZCW is on track to install 1000 WallPod’s in the UKby the end of June 2012.

What a Christmas Present!

2011-12-07T19:25:00.001Z

It's now the second week in December and we are all gearing up for Christmas. At the Belmore Court we have the Christmas tree and decorations up, the festive music is playing in the background and the staff are ready to go carol singing around Enniskillen (only joking about the carols).

Although it has continued to be very busy we now have time to reflect over our last 12 months. Our year started on a Green note when we achieved the Green Tourism Business Scheme Silver Award; this awards reflects our commitment to sustainable tourism by reducing waste, congestion and pollution, supporting the local businesses and enhancing the natural environment. We also retained out AA 4 Star Guest Accommodation status.

By the time Easter came around our Reception Team and Housekeeping Team had entered their respective Northern Ireland Hotels Federation competitions. The Reception team came runner up in the over 60 bedrooms category while the Housekeeping team won the over 60 bedrooms category beating the Killyhevlin and the Merchant Hotel. This was a fantastic achievement.

For the second year running we were commended in the Northern Ireland Tourist Board annual awards for Serviced Accommodation and we trained all our staff in Welcome Host thus becoming a Welcome Host Gold Employer. Our breakfast room and kitchen were awarded 5 stars in the Fermanagh District Council Food Safe programme.

After the Summer our marketing plan was commended in the Tourism & Hospitality section of the Chartered Institute of Ireland Marketing Excellence Awards. In the inaugural Digital Advertising Northern Ireland awards our online strategy won best in Northern Ireland while one of our viral adverts and our mobile web app received commendations.

This is where the icing on the cake arrives. As if the year had not been fantastic enough already, following a change in NITB classification and certification the Belmore Court & Motel was confirmed as 4 Star Guest Accommodation after a mystery shopper visit in December and we achieved Investors in People - Bronze award.

The IIP awards shows our commitment to oyur staff. They are an integral part of the running of our business. Without good people we wouldn't have a good business. December also seen a milestone with one of our receptionists, Arlene, being employed with me for 10 years and another employee reaching aht 5 year mark. Not bad for a relatively young business.

It's been a great year already and I hope that even in these difficult financial circumstances that we can continue to prosper and grow.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Belmore Court & Motel wins best Online Strategy

2011-11-20T20:30:00.001Z

Last Friday night Mary and I attended the inaugural Digital Advertising Northern Ireland (DANI) awards in the Hilton Hotel, Belfast. We had been nominated in 3 different categories; Best Viral, Best Mobile App & Best Online Strategy.

Almost 200 people filled the function room at the awards and we were seated at a table along with Todds Leap and Creative Media. I think we were the only table West of the Bann.

The judges included; Left to right Maurice Mulvenna, Professor of Computer Sciences at University of Ulster; Katrina Doran, Editor of Sugahfix.com; (back) Director Repknight Online Reputation Management, Ruan O'Tiarnaigh, Jill Culbertson, Co-Founder Navajo Talk; John Reid, Managing Director The Gurus Network and (centre- front) Naomh McElhatton, Managing Director Digital Advertising Northern Ireland.

After a great meal and a bit of craic Nuala McKeever took to the stage and managed to slag off most of the people in the room and tell some great jokes. Nuala then proceeded to announce the shorlisted companies. Anticipation filled the air while the noise from the audience decreased.

In our first nomination our Viral advert for the Best Viral featuring my 8 year old son, Lewis, doing a video tour of the Belmore Court & Motel was up against the Belfast Giants singing "All I want for Christmas" and Derry's Ledgendary Campaign. The Giants won and it was hard to complain because Mariah Carey tweeted about it and Sky Sports even featured it. We did achieve Highly Commended status.

The next award we were shortlisted for pitted us against lookaly and another company but it was always gonna be hard to beat the local Lookaly company. there service really is great. Once again we were awards Highly Commended.

At this stage we thought we were going to be the perenial bridesmaids. Our last nomination was for the best Online Strategy. This award reflected the best overall strategy incorporating pay per click, social media, Search engine Optimisation, etc.

I waited nervously on stage with the CIM Ireland and Alzheimers Society while the winner was announced. Finally our name was announced as winner and I was really shocked and just stood there with my Mickey Mouse hands in the air (that's another story).

The judges said "This best overall strategy has been given to a companythat has engaged with all the online elements – including continuousdevelopmenf of their website, SEO, PPC, Facebook, YouTube, Ecommerce, onlineadvertising and PR … Showing a clear return on investment making a massive £10for every £1 spent … direct website revenue now accounts for 40% of overallrevenues and they’re listed no.1 on Google."

On collecting the award I was asked for the oppotunity to speak through the microphone. Taking advantage of this I thanked all the team at the Belmore Court & Motel, Bookassist Ireland and my wife Mary. I also thanked Naomh McElhatton for having the courage to organise these types of awards; it really is just the right time for them to happen.

The night went on into the early hours in the morning. As usual it was great to meet old friends and make new ones. Really pleased to meet Grannine Maher and her husband and catching up with Niall McKeown from ION.

We retired to our suite (perk of the hotel industry) and slept well after a very statisfactory night. Spent the next day shopping in Ikea with a sore head. Looking forward to next year already.

It really was an honour to win this award and it was great that Bookassist Ireland were able to help me throughout the years and with the application forms. I look forward to continued success with them in the future.

The DANI Awards 2011 Winners

Best B2B Campaign: Equality Commission (iON)

Best B2C Campaign: Treat Ticket

Best Viral Campaign: Belfast Giants

Best Social Media (SME): Boojum (Mammoth)

Best Social Media (Corporate): Cool FM

Best Mobile App Campaign: Lookaly

Best Web Design: Todds Leap (Creative Media)

Best Online Strategy: Belmore Court & Motel

Business Person of the Year: Russell Moore

Happy Days are here in Enniskillen

2011-11-15T21:25:00.001Z

THEWORLD'S FIRST ANNUAL FESTIVAL CELEBRATING

SAMUEL BECKETT

HAPPYDAYS ENNISKILLEN INTERNATIONAL

BECKETT FESTIVAL

Theworld's first annual festival to celebrate the work and influence of NobelPrize writer Samuel Beckett is announced today. HAPPY DAYS will take place eachyear in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, where Beckett spent his formative yearsattending Portora Royal School.

Theinaugural HAPPY DAYS, 23rd - 27th August 2012, is part of the London 2012Festival (Cultural Olympiad) and coincides with the 400th anniversary of thefounding of Enniskillen.

HAPPYDAYS is the first annual, international, multi-arts festival in NorthernIreland since the launch of the
Belfast Festival in 1962. As with the Edinburgh Festival in 1947, HAPPY DAYSwill be a major cultural event
bringing diverse communities together, mixing local and international audiencesand artists.

TheFestival will present events of wide, popular appeal including:

the work of Beckett, with world and UK premieres of his major and lesser-known works;
the influences on Beckett, including music and comedy;
those Beckett has influenced, including Irish, UK and international writers, directors, actors, visual artists, musicians, comedians, circus artists and individuals prominent in their fields.
There will also be a range of events reflecting Beckett's favourite sports.

The fullHAPPY DAYS artistic line-up will be announced in April 2012. Some highlights ofthe 2012 Festival include:

directing and acting in Krapp's Last Tape, a UK & Irish premiere by a world acclaimed international Director;
singing Schubert's Winterreise, Beckett's most favoured piece of music. Ian is one of Europe's most in-demand tenors, especially in the genre of German Lieder.
will design a stage element (to form part of a Beckett production in Australia in 2013) which will be installed and publicly exhibited for the first time as part of HAPPY DAYS. Antony is renowned for his large-scale public sculptures such as the Angel of the North, Gateshead and Inside Australia,
's kinetic artwork, Steenbeckett, an inspirational response to the role of film in our understanding of Beckett. Atom is an acclaimed film and stage director and winner of four major awards at the Cannes Film Festival. Steenbeckett is presented in association with Artangel.
World class writers Edna O'Brien, Alice Oswald, Melvyn Bragg and John Banville

HAPPYDAYS Founder & Artistic Director, Sean Doran said: "I am delighted toreturn to where my professional festival career began (Derry 1992) and where Ihad many rewarding artistic experiences as Artistic Director of the 1997 &1998 Belfast Festivals". HAPPY DAYS is funded by Arts Council NorthernIreland, Fermanagh District Council and
London 2012 Festival.

ArleneFoster, Northern Ireland's Tourism Minister, said: "HAPPY DAYS is aperfect complement to the wide range of events that already take place aroundthe Fermanagh Lakelands. Culture is a key ingredient that sets Northern Irelandapart from competing destinations, and festivals such as this are crucial inattracting visitors. Innovative events help to raise the profile of adestination and I have no doubt this initiative has the capacity to grow to alevel where it can attract overseas tourists. It will benefit the local economyby generating additional spend on accommodation, hospitality
and travel".

Chairmanof Fermanagh District Council, Councillor Thomas O'Reilly said: "We arevery excited about the inaugural HAPPY DAYS which includes a wide variety ofarts and sporting events. Fermanagh is proud of its association with SamuelBeckett and it is fitting that this innovative Festival is taking place inEnniskillen, the County Town".

RuthMcKenzie, LOCOG Director of Culture (Cultural Olympiad), said: "HAPPY DAYSwill be the only brand new and on-going festival premiering in 2012 andcertainly the only festival in the world dedicated to one of the greatest worldwriters, Sam Beckett. With world class writing, comedy, music, and amazingscenery, Enniskillen is bidding to become one of the great worldfestivals".

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: PLEASECONTACT IAN MCKAY, 07973 660767 / imckay100@gmail.com

www.happy-days-enniskillen.com

Jumping for Joy!

2011-11-02T15:37:00.000Z

ANeight year old boy’s take on his daddy’s business has beaten some of the mostcreative minds in Northern Ireland’s digital advertising industry to be shortlisted for a major award.

YoungLewis McCartney has become something of a star in his hometown of Enniskillensince he featured in the video to promote his dad’s business, the BelmoreCourt & Motel.

Fatherand son were both thrilled last week when the cute video viral showing Lewisgiving his “lovely” guided tour of the Belmore court & Motel’s bedrooms,which has been watched by nearly 3,000 people on U Tube, was short listed inthe prestigious DANI 2011 awards.

TheP5 pupil’s video is up against the might of the Belfast Giants and Derry Cityof Culture in the Best Viral Campaign category at the awards. Visit www.motel.co.uk to see his tour of theBelmore Court.

The inauguralDANI Awards in association with Invest Northern Ireland and Chain ReactionCycles, aims to recognise the burgeoning creative and digital online mediasector in Northern Ireland.

The ceremony will takeplace at Belfast’s Hilton Hotel on Friday, November 11 when a total ofnine awards will be presented but it’s way past Lewis’ bedtime so he wont beable to attend.

TerryMcCartney, owner of Belmore Court & Motel was thrilled that his simple, lowbudget promotional video had impressed judges. “We are just a small companywhere every pound matters and we didn’t have a big budget to blow on a video.Lewis is always in the Belmore Court and we stay overnight regularly and thekids love it. We just thought if we could capture some of his enthusiasm aboutstaying it might be infectious.”

“Wedidn’t work to a script and just told him to talk and tell it in his own weewords and he did talk - non stop. He loved doing it and especially as hegot a new big piece of Lego at the end of it. He has become a bit of star nowwith people coming into the motel asking if he is there. He is modest but he isloving it too.”

“Weare thrilled that such a small company as ours has been short listed againstsuch large organisations.”

Belmore Court & Motel has beenshortlisted in a total of three of the eight DANI Awards categories. Thecompany is also a finalist for the Best App and Best Online Strategy awards.

NaomhMcElhatton, founder of The DANI Awards said: ''The judges felt the BelmoreCourt & Motel fulfilled all the criteria for the category and theydemonstrated an understanding of how and why a viral campaign would work forthem.

“Thecontent was very relevant to their brand, the campaign hit their targetaudience, it was just the right length of footage and fitted very well withtheir family business ethos, aside from that it delivered results - followingthe coverage on Facebook and their own site - it was mentioned on over 30bookings and other kids that stayed at the motel wanted to meet Lewis, theowners son who starred in the video!''

The Motel has enjoyed a superb year ofsuccess at major awards ceremonies where it has been recognised consistentlyfor its attention to quality service.

Earlier this year Belmore enjoyed thedistinction of being the only independent business in Ireland to pick up aSilver Award in the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

The motel also left its largercompetitors standing when it was awarded House Keeping Team of the Year andrunner up in the Receptionist of the Year categories in the 2011 NorthernIreland Hotel Federation annual awards.

And next month, the Belmore Court& Motel will be one of the finalists in the coveted Chartered Institute ofMarketing Ireland Excellence awards; Best Marketing and Sales – Tourism andHospitality.

Belmore owner TerryMcCartney said: “As a small business up against much bigger companies, we aredelighted to be singled out for success.

“Having all three of ourentries shortlisted in DANI and also making the final of the CIM MarketingExcellence awards has topped what has been avery successful year for us. We really have a team and a product to be proudof.”

Would you make a great Hotel Inspector?

2011-10-27T22:51:00.001+01:00

The Hotel Inspector is an observational documentary television series which airs on British terrestrial television station, Channel 5. It is very interesting following Alex Pollizzi changing the way various hotels throughout the UK operate. I'm always amused by the way most hotels don't want to listen to Alex, never mind the customers.

At the Belmore Court & Motel our vision is to become the leading independent Guest Accommodation in Northern Ireland and we recognise that we can't achieve this goal without satisfying you, the customer.

As part of our commitment to making the customer our number 1 priority we regularly organise for a mystery shopper to ensure our product and service exceeds the customer expectation. We are running a competition to win a 2 night break with dinner so that a customer can be a Hotel inspector.

The competition is being organised through our Facebook Fan Page www.facebook.com/BelmoreCourt. All you have to do is to like the page and then enter the competition providing the answer to the question and your name and contact details. Please share the link with your friends.

The winner will then be chosen at random on Thursday 10th November and I shall be in contact to arrange the 2 night break with dinner (Value up to £250) before 11th December 2011. The winner will also be issued with our Mystery Shopper audit form which needs to be completed before, during and after.

The areas to be scored include Internet, Reservation, Arrival, Bedroom, Local Enquiry, Breakfast &; Check out.

To help celebrate the competition and recent awards success we are also having a Winter Sale Special Offer with rooms from £39.00.

500 rooms are available as part of this Special Offer. Visit our website for more details....

NIHF Hospitality Exchange

2011-10-21T22:54:00.000+01:00

This week saw the Northern Ireland Hotels' Federation (NIHF) annual conference, Hospitality Exchange, in the Ramada Hotel, Belfast. The NIHF is the membership that represents the Hotel Industry in Northern Ireland.
On Tuesday I left Enniskillen early in the morning arriving at the venue after 9am. There is a great exhibition during the day with presentations dotted throughout the morning and afternoon. It's always a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones. I even met Mr Punjana (not his real name) - A great local success story and even better tea!

Terry McCartney, Pamela Emo & Mr Punjana

I attended the Online Marketing session with Frank Reeves from Avvio. Frank gave a very informative talk about how hotels can embrace social media mentioning facebook, twitter and tripadvisor. These websites are becoming integral in the development of a Hotel's online presence; facebook.com/BelmoreCourt & twitter.com/BelmoreCourt.

Guy Levine, Leila Makki & Terry McCartney

After a short break we returned to hear a Tourism Ireland supported presentation by Guy Levine and Leila Makki (presentation). These social media experts gave insights into the industry specifically mobile solutions. Mobile has been identified as the fastest growing medium for Hotel purchases. Belmore Court & Motel, Enniskillen had already identifiesd this and with the assistance of BookAssist we have developed a mobile web app which can be seen when you visit our website from a web enable phone (like an iPhone).
At the end of the presentation they both greed that ALL hotels should ensure that they provide FREE Wifi, accessible powerpoints and Ipod docking stations in all rooms.
After lunch there was a detailed presentation from Michael Williamson (ASM) on cost control.

Ramesh Rana, James McGinn, Mary & Terry McCartney

On the Wednesday night there was a President's Ball to welcome James McGinn as the new President of the NIHF. Once again it was great to see lots of aquiantences and hotelliers having fun.

Friendly Fermanagh

2011-09-07T22:16:00.000+01:00

Part of the Mission of the Belmore Court & Motel is to make the guest our number 1 priority. All our team try their very best to ensure we achieve this mission. A couple of weeks ago two members of our reception team looked after some Californian guests and they put pen to paper for the local newspaper....

From the Letters page of the Fermanagh Herald.

Please print this because the people of your lovely town need to know that their effortless kindness and friendliness shall be recognised whenever and wherever I tell this story.

On 18 August, 2011 whilst touring the Upper Lough Erne by a hire boat my brother took a terrible tumble attempting to tie up at the public mooring at Tully Castle. We knew immediately he was injured and while he still had his senses we were able to get him back aboard the boat and to the Carrick Craft mooring that had road access.

His injuries were such that we decided to call emergency services for an ambulance. That is when we met Richard and Michael from the ambulance. These two men were faced with moving a 300 plus lb man, in great pain, through a narrow pilot house door and onto their gurney then on to the ambulance. These men worked with such confidence and professionalism in very difficult circumstances all the while keeping up a positive and jovial banter.

Upon arrival at the hospital my brother was treated immediately and X-rays determined that no bones were broken. The nurse in charge was Emma, Michael’s wife, continued the theme of concern and positiveness in my brothers care. She even made the extra effort to guide us to The Belmore Court Hotel as a safe and soft landing zone for three very traumatised travelers.

When we arrived at the Belmore we met Una and Michelle who made everything easy and comfortable. Negotiating the price downward for us under the extreme circumstances and attending to our every need, of which there were many. The following morning these two delightful women arranged transportation for us to recover the boat at the Carrick Craft mooring and assured us that my brother would be well cared for in our absence. This gave us the confidence to leave my brother in their care and proceed on to the boat.

At Carrick Craft we were assisted by the staff in preparing the boat for departure and, shorthanded as we were, moved the boat back to Enniskillen where again we were aided

by your citizens in landing at Broad Meadow mooring.

Tired though we were, my friend Linda and I, repaired to the brilliant and warm fellowship of Blakes for the evening while my brother continued his convalescence at the Belmore. The next morning we again with the aid and helpfulness of Una and Michelle moved my brother back to the boat and continued our journey.

I feel that the people of your friendly town should be recognised for their kindness to three travellers from California who, without their efforts, would have had a significantly diminished experience. Our trip was greatly enhanced and enriched by our time in Enniskillen and restorative of our faith in man and Ireland in general. We shall never

forget you all and our thanks, gratitude and appreciation shall never be forgotten by ourselves and as Una put it so lovingly, by the wee little man in room 142.

Best to all,

Paul Mooney,

Santa Cruz, California

15th Faldo Series Grand Final @ Lough Erne

2011-08-17T21:46:00.000+01:00

The Grand Final will bring together over 80 of Europe and South America's leading young golfers, as well as five winners from the 2011 Faldo Series Asia Grand Final.
15th Faldo Series Grand Final
Lough Erne Resort, Ross Inner, Enniskillen, 13 Sep - 14 Sep

Contact details
Belleek Road
Enniskillen
Co. Fermanagh
BT93 7ED
Tel: (028) 6632 3230
Email: info@lougherneresort.com
Web: www.lougherneresort.com

Visit National Trust Properties - Free!

2011-08-02T21:41:00.000+01:00

Visit a number of National Trust attractions free of charge as part of the Heritage Open Days and get an insight into the heritage and conservation of the amazing places right on your own doorstep. Free entry over the Heritage Open Day weekend on 10 and 11 September.

CASTLECOOLE
Experience the stately grandeur of this stunning 18th-century mansion set in a beautiful wooded landscape park – which is ideal for family walks. Castle Coole is one of Ireland's finest Neo-classical houses: the sumptuous Regency interior and the State Bedroom prepared for George IV provide a rare treat for visitors, allowing them to glimpse what life was like in the home of the Earls of Belmore. Discover the story of the people who lived and worked below stairs as you explore the splendid suite of servants' rooms and service quarters of this magnificent property.

Enjoy walking around Fermanagh

2011-07-29T21:49:00.000+01:00

Red Squirrel Week and Fermanagh’s Walking Festival
Florencecourt, Sliabh Beagh & Castlecoole, 08 Oct - 10 Oct 2011

FERMANAGH WALKING FESTIVAL 2011

8th - 10th OCTOBER 2011

2011 will see the 5^th annual Fermanagh Walking Festival taking place and we want you to come out and enjoy the fantastic Fermanagh countryside. Fermanagh District Council is planning a diverse FREE weekend walking programme based at a number of beautiful locations around the Cuilcagh, Florencecourt and Sliabh Beagh areas of the County. This is an opportunity for all to come out and enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of Fermanagh’s landscape.

The variety of walking available in County Fermanagh makes it is an ideal venue for walkers. Its vast array of terrains, mountains, forests and castle walks ensure that there is a walk to suit people of all strengths, abilities and interests. The locations for this year’s walking events will be carefully selected to provide walkers with an opportunity to experience some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery in County Fermanagh.

The Fermanagh Walking Festival includes a weekend walking programme with different grades of walk taking place at different locations in both East and West Fermanagh. It is envisaged that on each of the days three grades of walk will be available; these are a Family walk, Intermediate walk and an Advanced walk. An Inclusive walk on Monday 10th October at Castle Coole Estate is also planned as part of the festival. Therefore, regardless of your level of fitness or ability there is sure to be a walk that will cater for you allowing you to explore the spectacular landscapes of County Fermanagh.

To find out more informaiton please email grainne.oconnor@fermanagh.gov.uk or call 028 66325050

How do managers protect their Hotels?

2011-07-21T10:44:00.000+01:00

Over the last number of years for a number of reasons we have had to introduce a credit card preauthorisation policy at the Belmore Court & Motel. Thankfully 99% of people respect their hotel bedroom and pay their bill before they leave.

Unfortunately a few people have caused damage or noise distrubance to other guests - although we try to deal with this as best we can at the time of a compliant the better thing to do is to try and avoid these problems happening at all. The way some people have left their room is disgraceful.

At the Belmore Court & Motel we have invested £2.5 million in our new rooms and are looking at investing £150,000 in our standard rooms over the next 12 months. we need to ensure that we protect these rooms and avoid any disturbances to other guests.

In 2006 we introduced a credit card preauthorisation policy to help reduce these situations. Many other Hotels around the world have a similar policy. This involves;

A credit or debit card number should be provided when booking the room. This card may be pre authorised for the first nights stay and/or and address check verified. A confirmation email or letter will be sent stating the booking details and terms and conditions.
Our standard cancellation terms are 3pm - 2 days prior to the day of arrival. This means that if you have booked for a Friday night; There will be no cancellation fee if you cancel before 3pm on Wednesday. Any cancellation after this time or a non arrival would mean the first nite will be charged for and the booking released.
On arrival a swipe of the credit/debit card is required to preauthorise and amount for the balance owing, plus £50 for any additional charges - telephone, breakfast, noise, damage, etc. At this stage nothing has been debitied from card but a hold has been placed for this amount. This may result in you being unable to access this amount for the 5-7 working days. it may also show on your statment.
Only on checkout do we complete the credit/debit card for the final amount after discussing it with the card holder.
For those people who do not have or use a credit/debit card we can accept a cash deposit for the same value which is returned on checkout.

These procedures have helped reduce the number of complaints from guests regarding noise and disturbances from other guests. There have been very few instances where we have had to charge additional costs to these preauthorisations for any problems arising.

We are committed to ensuring that our guests have a safe and enjoyable stay and that all guests should respect the rooms and are staff.

If you have any comments about the above it's would be great to hear them/

A Greener Belmore Court & Motel

2011-04-30T12:37:00.000+01:00

BELMORE COURT & MOTEL BECOMES THE FIRST INDEPENDENT BUSINESS TO ACHIEVE SILVER AWARD FROM GREEN TOURISM BUSINESS SCHEME

Belmore Court & Motel has achieved a Silver award underthe Green Tourism Business Scheme, for demonstrating excellence in environmentalpractice and promoting sustainable tourism.

The locally owned Belmore Court & Motel in Enniskillenis an award winning Guest Accommodation and was opened originally in March 1991with 30 rooms and relaunched with an additional 30 bedrooms in March 2009.

The Green Tourism Business Scheme is the leading sustainabletourism certification scheme in the UK. The scheme honours establishments that demonstratehigh levels of commitment in protecting the environment and promoting sustainabletourism with bronze, silver and gold awards. Award winners are scrutinised on over145 separate measures by qualified advisors before being appointed the relevantaward.

Terry McCartney, Manager commented: “Through a dedicated ongoingmaintenance programme, waste reduction, use of local suppliers and continuing commitmentto greener options in the motel, we aim to become an industry leader in environmentalmanagement and contribute to demonstrating that being green is attractive to theconsumer as well as vital for all our futures.”

Belmore Court & Motel offers comprehensive range of accommodation to suit all needsand is unique, successfully combiningthe Motel, a distinctive terrace of houses, and the splendour of the newBelmore Court.

Guaranteed a Great Reception

2011-04-19T08:50:00.000+01:00

The 2011 Hotel and Guesthouse Receptionist of the year brought further success for the Belmore Court & Motel who were runners up it the Team Category. The property recently was awarded the title of the Best Housekeeping Team in the over 60 bedroom category has gone from strength to strength since its undergoing major development in 2010. Terry McCartney, Owner of the property said “Our aim is to provide excellent facilities and services at reasonable prices to all customers and becoming runner up in the category show that we are well on the way to achieving this goal. I’d like to thank all the team at the Belmore Court & Motel who have worked hard over the last couple of years to make the accommodation a great place to stay and work. ”

The competition is in its eighth year and had a record 95 entries this year from hotels across Northern Ireland. The event is run by the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation and its President, Eugene McKeever said, “There is no doubt in my mind that reception staff have a unique role to play in the operation of a successful hotel. They are our eyes and ears providing the main point of contact for guests. A smiling face at reception and a pleasant greeting over the phone is what makes customers want to come back. As the industry body, the NIHF is delighted to be able to recognise the important role that receptionists have in the hotel sector.”

Industry partners, Coca-Cola HBC NI, Avvio and the Northern Ireland Tourist board, support the competition. Eugene McKeever highlighted the importance of these partnerships saying, “the hotel industry is all about teamwork and without a great team of sponsors we would not be able to stage competitions like this. We are indebted to all those who have helped us with the competition and thank them for their commitment to the industry.”

Pete Snodden, Cool FM DJ, compered proceedings at the awards dinner, which was held in the Holiday Inn Belfast on Thursday 14th April. Sponsors, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Coca-Cola HBC NI and Avvio joined with hundreds of hotel receptionists and their managers for a night of celebration.

Winners 2011

Hotel & Guesthouse Receptionist of the Year sponsored by Appletiser

Winner: Elaine Harkin, City Hotel Derry, age 38

Runner-up: Rachael Kaye Crossey, Fitzwilliam Hotel, Belfast, age 22

3rd Place: Kieva Jewell, City Hotel Derry, age 22

Most Promising Hotel & Guesthouse Receptionist of the Year sponsored by Avvio

Winner: Sarah Brown, Strangford Arms Hotel, Newtownards, age 27

Recognising those in the role for less than one year.

Hotel & Guesthouse Reception of the Year sponsored by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Winner: Radisson Blu Roe Park Resort, Limavady

2nd Place: Belmore Court & Motel, Enniskillen

Recognising the achievements of the whole reception team.

Other Finalists 2011

Hotel & Guesthouse Receptionist of the Year sponsored by Appletiser

Orla Lee, Galgorm Resort & Spa, age 27

Gail Lindsay, Holiday Inn Express Antrim, age 23

Martina O'Hare, Malone Lodge Hotel & Apartments, age 23

Melanie Peachy, Bushmills Inn Hotel, age 30

Adriana Szczodrowska, Park Inn By Radisson, age 25

Anna Toriola, Benedicts Hotel Belfast, age 29

Most Promising Hotel & Guesthouse Receptionist of the Year sponsored by Avvio

Paul Andrews, Hilton Belfast, age 23

Leanne Kerr, Everglades Hotel, age 22

Jarmila Slugocka, Jurys Inn Belfast, age 24

Hotel & Guesthouse Reception of the Year sponsored by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Bushmills Inn Hotel

City Hotel Derry

Radisson Blu Hotel Belfast

Stormont Hotel

Tara Lodge

Background

The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation successfully re-launched the competition in 2004. The event has been very well received within the sector and currently recognises excellence in three distinct categories.

The competition aims to recognise the attributes and skills of the reception function and has been reinstated after consultation with the sector and keen interest from the hotel trade. The competition also seeks to recognise international standards and competitiveness within the hospitality sector.

This award previously ran for over 20 years and was recognised as a leading accolade within the hospitality sector. The last eight years have seen the award receive significant attention from the public, press and industry including applications from over 95 hopeful contestants.

More Information

For further information please contact Janice Gault, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation:

Tel: 028 9077 6635 Mobile: 07799711960 Email: janice@nihf.co.uk

Free WiFi or Not free WiFi?

2011-03-25T09:30:00.001Z

A device that has WiFi enabled, like a laptop, iPad, smart phone, etc, allows the user to connect to the Internet without wires. This is becoming an integral part of everyday life.

Most hotels have provided a Wifi service which is available for purchase such as BTOpenZone or BitBuzz. At the Belmore Court & Motel seven years ago we started to provide a Wifi service through BTOpenZone and Surf2Go. Voucher could have been bought on a hourly or daily requirement.

After 2 years we found a demand for Free Wifi and so I setup our own network for Free Wifi. This involved installing 12 routers throughout the building o ensure all rooms were covered. We manage this technology ourselves. On the whole this has been very positively recieved - even though we need to reset the routers as and when a customer notices the connection has failed.

We are soon coming to a cross road. If we upgrade to a more relaible & efficient external system there is an initial cost for equipment purchase and almost £200/month including newer SuperFast broadband lines to keep a very reliable connection and an excellent support service. I'm not keen on charging customers to use the Wifi but also with the current economic recession I can't build it into the room rate for all guests. All other costs are increasing dramatically and I can't absorb this extra cost.

There are a couple of options:

1) Stay with the current system; Free but not as reliable as it could be.

2) Install new system and charge £8/hour and/or £12/day. Offers excellent reliability and support service.

3) Install new system and give 1st half hour free and the charge rates as per above. Offer excellent reliability and support service.

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts and/or suggestions.

Thanks.

Terry

Belmore Court & Motel cleans up at the NI Housekeeping Awards

2011-03-15T20:24:00.000Z

The winners of the Hotel & Guesthouse Housekeeping Awards 2011 were announced at a gala evening in the Wellington Park Hotel on 9th March 2011. The awards were hosted by Pamela Ballantine and supported for the second year by the Bunzl Group and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. The competition, which is organised by the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, was launched last year to recognise and reward housekeeping staff and to raise the profile of their important role in the industry.

The winner of the under-60 rooms category was the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel from Bangor. Delighted housekeepers, Giarcarla Giovannoli and Janice Boyce, scooped the top prize with judges commenting on the exceptional standards at the hotel.

The top prize in the over-60 rooms category went to the Belmore Court & Motel in Enniskillen. The property has undergone a major refurbishment including the opening of 30 new bedrooms and the judges particularly noted the superb bed making skills of Romana Sinekovaite and Diana Kalukanova.

Eugene McKeever, President of the NIHF said, “This is the second year of this venture and it has been a real success for the Federation. It has been very well supported by our members throughout the Province, and it is great to see two such worthy winners. We felt it was important to recognise the vital role of housekeeping within the hotel industry and reward those at the top of their game. The support of our key sponsors ensures the continued success of this event and their valued partnership allows the Federation to run initiatives like this on an annual basis.”

The competition involved a team assessment day followed by a surprise on-site inspection for the ten shortlisted finalists. The judges were looking for cleanliness, attention to detail and overall guest impression. One of the objectives of the competition is to raise standards in the industry whilst recognising the superb job that housekeepers perform on a daily basis.

BC&M Housekeeping Team shortlisted for Award

2011-02-12T21:13:00.000Z

The Northern Ireland Hotels' Federation annually run a Hotel & Guesthouse Housekeeping Competition for its members. This year the Housekeeping team at the Belmore Court & Motel decided to enter the competition.

Housekeeping is an extremely important part of the accommodation busy. The housekeeper cleans the room your enter, makes the bed you sleep in and santises the bathroom you wash in. Overall the guest has more direct contact with housekeeping that any other department.

Last Tuesday the Housekeeping Supervisor, Romana and Housekeeper, Diana, travelled to Belfast to particiapte in the assessment day at the Wellington Park Hotel. There were two sections; less than 60 rooms and 60 or more bedrooms. The Belmore Court & Motel were in the larger section and were competing with 21other hotels.

The session began with an ice breaker which Diana won and recieved a bottle of champagne. After this the group was divided into 4 sub groups. Each group then had to participate four different tasks.

These tasks included making a bed, finding delibrate mistakes in a room inspection, sorting a basket of bathroom utensils & giving advice to a family looking for local information.

At the end of the day the two ladies had really enoyed the whole experience and were told to visit the NIHF website the following evening to see the shortlist. On Wednesday evening when we checked we were over the moon to find that our team had been shorlisted along with:

Hilton, Belfast
Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen
La Mon Hotel & County Club, Belfast
Park Inn, Belfast
Radisson Blu Hotel, Belfast
Slieve Donard, Newcastle

On Friday a judge arrived unannounced to inspect a number of bedrooms to help the panel make their final decision.

There is a Black Tie Ball on Wednesday 9th March in the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast were the winners will be announced.

Good luck to all participants but extra special luck to the Belmore Court & Motel team.

Belmore Court & Motel Is Seeing Blue Stars

2011-01-24T10:46:00.000Z

Belmore Court & Motel is the latest hospitality venue in Northern Ireland to sign up to revolutionary new website the Blue Star Scheme, which rates hotels according to their level of disabled access and facilities.

For disabled travellers, the Blue Star Scheme (www.bluestarscheme.co.uk), offers invaluable help by rating individual hotel's facilities throughout the country, allowing them to choose a hotel, bed and breakfast or any other accommodation that meets their own individual needs.

The Belmore Court & Motel recently added 30 more bedrooms and the increase doubled the amount of accessible rooms onsite. As well as offering accessible standard double rooms & family apartments they can now accommodate wheelchairs in superior double, and twin rooms in the new building which has a lift. There is also an interconnecting accessible rooms available for those who wish to bring a friend or carer with them.

Founder of the Blue Star Scheme, Sean Gorman, commented, “We are delighted that Belmore Court and Motel has joined the Blue Star Scheme and is taking an active step towards achieving improved equality for the industry. With over 10% of the population suffering from a disability of some kind, now is the time for hotel owners to recognise that whilst location, décor and service are all very important considerations for travellers, a proportion of potential guests also need to know how disabled friendly their facilities are.

“The Blue Star Scheme is relevant to all hotels, regardless of the level of disabled facilities they have in place. It merely serves to provide disabled travellers, the elderly and family or friends with the information they need to make an informed decision.”

The ‘Blue Stars’ ratings indicate the accessibility and suitability of hotel facilities for all disabled guests and range from 1 to 5, reflecting on information such as availability of ground floor rooms, bathroom facilities and access to hotel parking, through to lift signs in Braille. This allows guests to be aware of the suitability of individual hotels prior to booking their accommodation.

Terry McCartney, Owner/Manager, Belmore Court & Motel, commented “We are delighted to be able to accommodate disabled travellers and those with limited mobility. Our new product has been built to high standards in line with building control guidelines and should be available to as many people as possible. Enniskillen is a friendly and scenic place and we want everyone to enjoy what it has to offer.

Belmore Court & Motel caps successful year by reaching final of major business awards

2010-10-05T14:00:00.000+01:00

The outstanding performance of The Belmore Court & Motel in achieving record annual occupancies has won it a place as a finalist in the prestigious UTV / Business Eye awards.

The Enniskillen-based motel which underwent a £2.5m refurbishment and extension a year ago will compete against the Ulster Museum, The Merchant Hotel and Airporter for the coveted Tourism & Hospitality category of the awards which will attract an attendance of more than 400 top business people at The Culloden Hotel on 15 October.

Located in the centre of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, the Belmore Court reached the 20,000 bednights’ milestone almost exactly one year to the day after the official opening of its 30 bedroom extension.

Owner, Terry McCartney revealed:

“The Motel is celebrating its 21st year and it has been gratifying to see a 205% year on year increase in Irish visitors, no doubt swayed by the recent weakness of sterling against the Euro and a 133% rise in the numbers of Scottish visitors. Overall it has been a terrific year all-around with the achieving of AA 4 Star status by the UK, VisitBritain, VisitScotland and VisitWales.

“We have invested heavily in our accommodation and staff training and we believe the market has responded to our unique offering. A major element in the success is the Belmore Court & Motel customer ‘experience’. This has been borne out by several independent surveys and is something of which we are very proud. Part of the supporting evidence lies in the fact we have featured regularly in Trip Advisor’s number one and two slots during 2010. To be shortlisted against the ‘big boys’ in this major competition is a perfect finish to what has been a great year for our team at The Belmore Court & Motel.”

The Belmore Court & Motel was opened by Terry’s father, Raymond McCartney, who was inspired to build a motel after extensive travels in the USA.

Terry McCartney concedes his motel has ‘bucked the trend’ in many ways.

“We decided to push ahead with what was a serious investment right in the heart of the recession which, I suppose, was a surprise to some. But we have great confidence in our product and our people and we always knew the addition of new bedrooms, which boast state-of-the-art flatscreen TVs, iPod docking stations and free wifi, would add further to our already compelling offering.

“We have experienced particularly strong interest from corporate customers who want to provide their executives with value for money, good quality accommodation and we are looking optimistically towards the summer season with many people likely to opt for a holiday in the UK or Ireland due to the economic downturn.

“We believe passionately in our product and service and all work to raising the bar every day. This year we have seen strong visitor numbers and we are confident the market will continue respond well to our unique offering.”

The Belmore Court & Motel was also was commended in the annual NI Tourism Awards’ Serviced Accommodation category held in Belfast City Hall.

To find out more about The Belmore Court & Motel log on to www.motel.co.uk.

What's on in Fermanagh from 29th Sept

2010-09-29T11:38:00.000+01:00

September

Wed 29 to Sun 3
Enniskillen Arts Festival - see calendar below for individual events.
Vibrant visual art, dynamic drama, Music, dance, creative workshops and BBC digital circus. Special events for children,teenagers and young adults. Many events free of charge. Tickets can be purchased on the door (subject to availability) or in advance (in person only) at Fermanagh TIC Tel 028 66 323110. Ardhowen Theatre Events should be booked at the Ardhowen Tel 028 6632 5440.

Wed 29
Enniskillen Arts Festival Film ‘Crazy Heart’, Fermanagh House, Enniskillen 7pm Tickets £6 (combination ticket for all three films £15)

Thurs 30
Inspiration Motivation in Challenging Times - 10am to 2.30pm. Westville Hotel, Enniskillen
Cost £20 including 2 course lunch. The Network for Enterprising Women Tyrone Fermanagh host this inspiring event for all business owners North and South of the Border. Fantastic line-up of inspirational speakers including Veronica Canning and Aideen McGinley OBE, representation from Stormont and breakout workshops packed full of relevant and useful information to apply in your business. Additional opportunity to network and make new business contacts. Further info from Ciara Callan 07736 518137

Thurs 30
Partnerships: Enniskillen Arts Festival at Enniskillen Castle Museums 6pm and continuing to 7 January 2011. Opening to coincide with this year’s Arts Festival, this stunning exhibition celebrates the theme of creative partnerships. The show highlights work by Fermanagh artists who are also partners – see section on Enniskillen Castle Msueums.

Thurs 30
‘Inspired by Autumn’ Flower Demonstration by Magheracross Mothers Union At 8pm in the Archdale Hall, Ballinamallard. Admission £5. To book phone Olive on 028 66388 483 or Valerie on 028 66 388117

Thurs 30
Enniskillen Arts Festival Film ‘The Black Balloon’, Fermanagh House, Enniskillen 8pm Tickets £6 or combination ticket for all three films £15. Thomas is about to turn sixteen and start yet another new school but his problems are a little more complex than just being the new boy. His older brother Charlie is autistic and suffers from ADHd, so Thomas is often forced to be more keeper than playmate to him. And with their mother under doctor’s orders to rest in her final months of pregnancy, Thomas’ responsibilities to look after his brother are only increasing. A sensitive script and a great performance by Rhys Wakefield, with Toni Collette & Gemma Ward – directed by Elissa Downs

Thurs 30
Enniskillen Arts Festival Event - Enniskillen Amateur Dramatic Society In association with Soroptimist International Enniskillen & District presents Green Rain by Miriam Gallagher. An theatrical/musical entertainmenet celebrating pianist and composer Joan Trimble. Ardhowen Theatre 8pm. Tickets £17.50. The evening will conclude with light refreshments and a glass of wine, - proceeds to Horizon West Children’s Hospice.

Thurs 30 to Sun 3
BBC Blast Free Creative Workshops for teenagers,
Enniskillen Castle Museums Courtyard, Enniskillen. Expert tutors and state of the art equipment in film-making, fashion design, photography, ring-tones and animation for 12-19 years olds who can broadcast live on Blast’s own radio station Blast Out Loud.. Public Showcase with live Radio & Poetry Slam Sat afternoon (Part of Enniskillen Arts Festival) Free event workshops. Booking through www.bbc.co.uk/ni/blast

October

Fri 1 to Sun 3
Shannean Set Dancers hosts The Eamon McKeaney Set Dancing Week-end. Lusty Beg Island, Kesh. Ceili on the Friday night 10pm-1am with Davey Ceili Band, Saturday workshop 10.30am to 4.30pm with Gerard Butler Ceili 10pm-1am with Swallow’s Tail. Two-Hand Workshop 11am to 1pm on Sunday with Marie Garrity. Ceili 2.30-6pm with Lough Ree Ceili Band. Week-end ticket £40. Special rates for accommodation available.Details from Teresa McKeaney on 353 (0) 87 771 3082

Sat 2 to Sat 16
Shop and Save Extravaganza in Irvinestown!
One Big Sale in almost 50 shops – a real bargain hunter’s paradise!! As well as offering very attractive discounts and special offers, the participating businesses are offering customers the opportunity to enter a FREE competition to win a massive £1000 worth of Irvinestown Shopping Vouchers. (Draw will take place on Sat 16th on Main St at 6pm)
A hearty welcome awaits you and a wide range of goods and services – including groceries, fashion, footwear, furniture and hardware, fancy goods, all household requirements, building products, jewellers, pharmacies and much much more. Stop off for a while with that special person in one of the pubs, cafes, restaurants, coffee shops or the long established famous hotel.
Irvinestown is just a click away – log onto www.visitirvinestown.com for more info. Don’t miss the bargains – there’s something for everyone and you might even win the £1000 worth of vouchers!!!!!

Sat 2
Go Walkies for Guide Dogs Sponsored Paws, Castle Coole, Enniskillen from Noon. Register online: www.guidedogsgiving.org.uk/gowalkies. Contact NI Guide Dog Office: 0845 372 7402
Email: dt.northernireland@guidedogs.org.uk Come along and sponsor your pet to walk for guide dogs. Two walks to choose from or do both!
1 – family fun walk round the lake path, approx 1.5miles
2- little ramble around the lake and grounds, approx 4.5 miles
On completion your pet will be awarded a Certificate and fluorescent Go Walkies For Guide Dogs tag.

Fri 1 to Fri 15
Valerie Parker Art Exhibition at Enniskillen Library
Valerie will be holding her annual art exhibition for the first two weeks in October during library normal opening hours. Her paintings are mostly local landscapes in various mediums eg pastel, acrylic and watercolour. Valerie has been living in Fermanagh for the past 16 years and takes her inspiration from the beautiful scenery in the county.

Fri 1 to Sun 3
Mini Flower Festival & Harvest Thanksgiving Week-end to mark the re-opening of the newly re-furbished Lisnaskea Parish Church. The Church will be open for viewing on Saturday from 11am to 5pm, Sunday from 2 to 5pm.

Fri 1
Enniskillen Arts Festival at Willie Ramblers. Roy Fulton Guitar Workshop 6-8pm £8. Roy is an Examiner for the London College of Music. He will be playing at the festival on Friday night and will deliver a workshop on Saturday morning. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a guitar legend

Fri 1
Enniskillen Arts Festival – Morga, Young Traditional Band
Railway Hotel 8pm £10 The most exciting young Irish Traditional band to appear on the scene in recent years.

Fri 1
Enniskillen Arts Festival presents Neil Hannon in Concert, Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen 8pm All seats £15. The Internationally renowned lead singer of “The Divine Comedy” makes his Ardhowen debut in an eagerly awaited individual performance

Fri 1
Enniskillen Arts Festivall at Willie Ramblers. Roy Fulton, Guitar Legend. 10pm £8. Roy’s performances range from solo acoustic sets to blues, country and rock to theatre work. He has appeared with artists as diverse as Jools Holland, Gary Barlow, Suzi Quatro and Vanessa Mae.

Sat 2
Enniskillen Motor Club Clubman Stages Rally, Derrygonnelly. Details from www.enniskillenmotorclub.co.uk

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival – Claire Keegan Book Signing, Enniskillen Library at 10am Free

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festivall - Song of Erne, Musical Bus Journey Join the coach tour and visit the places that featured in ‘Song of Erne’. Commentary by Marion Maxwell, extracts read by Bryan Gallagher. Commencing in Railway Car Park 10am – repeated at 2pm. Lasting approx 2-2.5 hours. Tickets £10 - see festival programme for further info

Sat 2
Model & Collectors Fayre, Bawnacre Centre, Irvinestown 10am to 5pm.. Tractors, buses, cars, dolls house accessories, railways, aircraft and much more. Admission Adult £3, Children £1.50
Proceeds in aid of Irvinestown Presbyterian Church Building Fund

Sat 2
Claire Keegan Short Story Writing Workshop 11am to 12.30pm. Clinton Centre £8 Claire will host one of her acclaimed workshops on the writing of short stories. This will appeal to members of creative writing groups, students of English language and/or literature, emerging writers and experienced authors.

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival BBC Blast! – Creative workshops for teenagers.
Castle Courtyard 11am to 6pm Free Variety of free creative workshops
In everything from film-making, and fashion design to photography, an Imation and radio production. Hands-on experience under the supervision and direction of expert facilitators using professional equipment. The specially adapted trucks boat a complete TV/Radio studio that allows young people create their own audio visual content and broadcast on Blast’sown radio station ‘Blast out Loud’. Workshops include Comedy Sketch Writing and Performing, Performing Poetry, and a nation-wide Dr Who competition among others. BBC Blast can facilitate 150 teenagers each day through the event space.
Booking through www.bbc.co.uk/ni/blast

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Art Express Carnival Cavalcade, Enniskillen. 1.30pm onwards until 5pm. Cavalcade consisting of 40 primary school children in fancy dress, accompanied by Samba Band will lead the festival dream dragon on its path from The Diamond to The Castle Museums Courtyard. The Dragon is a long limbed puppet whose task is to collect up children’s Hopes and Dreams – these will be released into the sky at the Courtyard by a Super-hero. Face painting, balloon modelling, bouncy castle,etc at Museum courtyard. The dragon puppet will take pride of place over an afternoon of free family fun.

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Claire Keegan Reading –The Clinton Centre 2pm £5 (Combined workshop and reading ticket £12). Originally from Co Wicklow, Claire lived in the US before returning to Ireland. Her first collection of short stories ‘Antarctica’ won the Rooney Prize and was followed by ‘Walk the Blue Fields’ which won her the 2008 Edge Hill Prize for Short Stories. Claire recently was a winner of the Davy Byrne’s competition for her short story ‘Foster.

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival Drumming Workshop. Free 2.45pm & 3.45pm. Booking required. Book via FDC Arts Officer on 028 66 325050

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival – Mask Workshop,. £4 Book through Diane Henshaw on 028 66 325050. 2.45pm, 3.30pm and 4.15pm

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Phil Hessian Traditional Singing/Visual Art Performance
Blakes of the Hollow 4-5pm Free

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival – Film: Kings 5pm, Fermanagh House £6

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival -Launch of Visual Arts Trail. The Higher Bridges Gallery, 7pm Free

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival in association with Ardhowen Theatre presents The Ulster Orchestra Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen 8pm. Tickets £15, concession £12, student £8. Conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk, the programme, comprising Mozart’s Symphony D major (Posthorn, after K.320), Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No 1 and Beethoven’s Symphony No7 will feature cello soloist guy Johnston.

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival - All Ireland Fleadh Winners Traditional Concert, Railway Hotel, Enniskillen 8-10pm £10

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival – Mark Black & Roots Orchestra with DJ Andy Weatherall, Willie Ramblers 9pm til late £12. Mark’s distinctive style of ‘Rootsy blues’ often combines rock, country and Celtic influences into a powerful mix. The 13 piece big band with a myriad of influences and instruments combine to create a unique musical experience. The band is made up of some of the finest musicians in the country.
DJ Andy has carved out a well respected career in British techno music. His work as a producer includes the track ‘train spotting’ for the movie of the same name, and he is one of the world’s most dedicated and top DJs.

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Traditional Music Session with Fermanagh musicians. Railway Hotel, Enniskillen 10pm til late. Free

Sat 2
Enniskillen Arts Festival presents Yankee Panky Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen 10.15pm Gallery Bar Tickets £7 (combined ticket Ulster Orchestra & Yankee Panky £20/£17) Jeanne Munroe (Musical Director, pianist) and Melissa McKeague (vocalist) met and began assembling music in Autumn 2005. Borne out of the Berlin of Kurt Weill & Bertolt Brecht, cabaret expressed the political and moral climate the composers inhabited. In other words, cabaret is urban folk music: storytelling with a fairly common/accessible theme. The smells of tobacco and booze have sunk into the clothes of cabaret, and you can hear broken glass under her feet as she trudges down her musical alleyway. The music ranges from silly to gritty but it’s all there for the fun of it. The women and the music of Yankee Panky will remind you of fine wine, ‘Over-ripeness, coupled with some tartness!’

Sun 3
Apple Day at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim. Information from www.theorganiccentre.ie

Sun 3
National Trails Day 2010 – simultaneous events across Ireland. A celebration day of Ireland’s wonderful variety of trails and a chance for everyone to enjoy some of Fermanagh’s most beautiful countryside, forests, mountains and lakes 4 events happening in Fermanagh -2 guided walks through Big Dog Forest and Crom, canoeing on Upper Lough Erne and a family cycle through Castle Archdale.
Big Dog Forest Walk – 2pm. Approx 2 hours Booking with Martina Magee 028 66 348855
Crom Walk – 2pm . Approx 2 hours. Booking with Stuart Jennings 028 6773 88118
Canoeing – 1130 to 3.30 – approx 4 hours. Booking with Ashley Hunter 02890738884
Family Cycle Run – 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Booking with Colin Reilly 028 6634 3040./ 07900 608903
More details from www.nationaltrailsdays.co.uk or Email aideen@countrysiderecreation.com Tel 02890 303931

Sun 3
Enniskillen Arts Festival at Willie Ramblers – Forfey Showcase of Young bands in afternoon. 1-7pm. £10

Sun 3
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Poetry Chicks ‘Edgy Poems with Attitude’
Blakes, Level 7 3pm £5. The poetry chicks have been performing since 2004 and their unique style of energetic performance poetry proves that the medium need not be dull.

Sun 3
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Maiden Voyage Contemporary Dance, Erneside Centre, Enniskillen
2 & 3pm Free Maiden Voyage will perform ‘Dream a Little Dream’ – a 15 minute dance piece that is about a couple who bored with normal life decide to try life on the red carpet.

Sun 3
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Traditional Unaccompanied Ballad Singers. 3-6pm Railway Hotel, £5
Len Graham, Roisin White, Gabriel McArdle and Rosie Stewart, all outstanding singers individually, join forces to perform the best of the Ulster tradition. You will hear beautiful songs from the hinterlands of Ulster, including Fermanagh, songs reminiscent of those from England, Scotland and other parts of Ireland.

Sun 3
Enniskillen Arts Festival presents At the Racket, Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen 8pm All seats £15 At the Racket is made up of some of our finest traditional musicians whose music has a strong flavour of that played in the Irish-American dance halls in the 1920s and 1930s. It is thrilling traditional music but fun and frivolity are high on the agenda. The line-up includes John Carty (fiddle, banjo, flute) Brian McGrath (piano, mandolin, banjo), Michael McCague (guitar, bouzouki) and Seamus O'Donnell (flute, saxophone, vocals) – a band to set souls ablaze!

Sun 3
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Erneside Music Collective presents Overoth, William Christ and his One Man Orgy, Bloodshot Dawn - Willie Ramblers 8pm-midnight. £5

Sun 3
Enniskillen Arts Festival - Melisma Choir, premier a cappella choral ensemble, St Michael’s Church, Enniskillen 8pm (Part of Enniskillen Arts Festival) One of N Ireland’s most distinguished choral groups will perform a wide selection of songs from early music through to sassy arrangements of well-known popular songs. These will be interspersed by some fine organ playing by their conductor Philip Stopford who is currently organist in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast Tickets £9, concession £7

Wed 6
Fermanagh Film Club present ‘ The White Ribbon, Fermanagh House, Enniskillen 8pm Membership £35, Non Member £6 on the night. Email mcdermottcrane@googlemail.com
Set within a year of the events that began World War I, this film is set in a small German village where a very suspicious series of events occur. The resident Doctor has a serious horse accident and the village begins to wonder who set the wire to trip him and why? It is not until the death of a farmer’s wife and the torture of the Baron’s son, do the events start to seriously concern the villagers, particularly the school teacher. However, these mysterious crimes are not the complete focus of the film, rather the catalyst for exposing the flaws, problems and conflicts of the various townsfolk Language German

Wed 6
Cahoots NI presents Leon and the Place Between Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen 10.30am and 7pm Tickets £4. Special evening Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 kids) £15
Little Leon loves magic, so, at a magic show, when magician Abdul Kazam asks for a volunteer Leon can’t wait to join. He bravely steps up onto the stage and in through a door into a box, only to find himself in ‘the place between’.
‘The place between’ is an enchanting place full of mystery, illusion and extraordinary characters! It is a place where anything can happen. But when his adventure there is over will Leon be able to find his way back to where his brothers and sister are waiting for him? A delightful new production for children aged 4 years and upwards.

What did you do this Bank Holiday?

2010-08-30T21:17:00.000+01:00

With the Belmore Court & Motel and most hotels in Enniskillen full for the Bank Holiday Weekend I decided to take the family a few places to relax and enjoy the good weather - Let's not forget it's back to school on Wednesday.

On Saturday we went to the Valley Hotel in Fivemiletown to Circus workshop and funday supported by Dungannon District Council. Lisa Williamson and committee has organised a number of events. There was a bouncy castle and inflatables outside along with people representing the Niamh Lousie Foundation and Drink Aware. There was also a disco, a Todd's Leap competition and sparkley temporary tattoos by Over the Moo n. Inside the function room of the Valley Hotel there was a educational puppet show about dropping litter and the Circus workshop by BelfastCircus.org.

The older kids with us loved the workshop the most, while the youngest loved getting a sparkley tattoo and the bouncey stuff. The 2 people from the workshop were fab and communicated well with the 10 kids that were able to take part. Starting off with some team introduction games they then moved on to juggling, hat tricks, stilts and finally the unicycle. A great day was had by all.

On Sunday I brought my eldest to the National Trust's Crom Castle for the Classic Sailing event. There were vintage cars at the old ruins, steam boats, yachts and the Lough Erne Yacht Club were doing a learn to sail day - but we were too late.

It was a magnicient sight to see the flotilla back on Lough Erne for the 1st time in almost 100 years at Crom. We had many residents staying with us from the event and they all said they had a fantasic time.

Monday was back into Enniskillen for the Enniskillen Castle Fun Day. Free family entertainment for the whole family. Drum school, dance classes, tanks, magicians, punch & judy and off course the bouncey castle.

Record numbers came to the Castle museum to see what was happening.

Phew it was a busy couple of days but thankfully the weather held out for us.

Terry's Travel Tales! Part 1

2010-08-17T16:52:00.001+01:00

We've just returned from a fabulous Summer holiday in Spain and I must say Spain is still a great county to visit. The weather was perfect, the people were great and food excellent. Although it did bring me to think about several things when you embark on holiday.
The issue of Airport Parking is still a thorny one. On this occasion we used Easi-Park just on the edge of the Belfast International Airport and we found them very reasonable and secure. We were discussing the pay for pick-up recently introduced and they were telling me that these car park shuttles have to pay around £3 each time they arrive at the collection point. This could go up to £5 before Christmas - Seems seasy money for the Airport.

We flew Jet2.com to Murcia and when we booked we reserved the inflight meal. Dubious abut such food our worries quickly evaporated when the meal arrived. For £7 you get a fresh fruit, beef dinner, bread roll, dessert, cheese and cracker, chocolate and refreshment. Not unlike the old British Airways food. Really enjoyed the meal and the chicken one on the return journey.

On arrival at Murcia Airport, Mary queued for the cases and I went to the hire car. Now hire cars are a whole different story..... There is so much choice at the time of booking - book direct, book thru agent, pay now, pay on arrival. The most confusing thing is insurance. When I collected my key after swiping my card the employee informed me that I didn't have insurance and that I would need to pay another £140 quid otherwise I'd have to pay for any damages - Now this is contary to what I though I had booked. Being is Spain I could really argue - Spanish not great. But I didn't take it. Everything seemed to go fine - no bills yet.

All in All a great holiday, but always nive to drive down Garvary Hill to see the lights of Enniskillen.

PS My 8 year old took the Photo!

Virtual Visit to the Belmore Court & Motel

2010-08-15T11:36:00.000+01:00

Virtual Visit Northern Ireland allows you to literally Get in the Picture, stand where the photographer stood and see what they saw. Experience the visitor attractions of Northern Ireland, visit Hotels, Bars and Restaurants of Belfast and beyond.

Recently the company have been visiting Fermanagh and shot the inside of the Belmore Court & Motel for us along with a number of other attractions in the area.

One of the landmarks along the leafy eastern approaches to Enniskillen, is a distinctive terrace of houses overlooking a long sweep of lush green lawns and garden with private car parking. This is the Belmore Court Motel.

Enniskillen Castle, situated beside the River Erne in County Fermanagh, was built almost 600 years ago by Gaelic Maguire chieftains. The chieftain at the time, King Thomas Maguire, (Thomas the Great) ruled from Lisnaskea in the south-eastern part of the county. His younger brother, Hugh 'The Hospitable' Maguire, was deputy chieftain and he is credited with building Enniskillen Castle, locating it in a strong defensive position beside the River Erne.

If you are looking for stately grandeur then Castle Coole is a rare treat. Surrounded by its stunning landscape park on the edge of Enniskillen, this majestic 18th century home of the Earls of Belmore, designed by James Wyatt, was created to impress.

A warren of nooks and crannies in an old, converted forge on Enniskillen's waterfront. Francos is a vibrant, buzzing restaurant, run by the Sweeney family for over 20 years. Local organic food. Lamb and 26 day aged beef, Fresh Lobster and Crab from Donegal and Sligo, Glenarm Organic Salmon, Local Organic Salads. Not forgetting the Fresh pasta and pizzas for which Francos is justly famous!

One of Ulster's most important 18th-century houses. Florence Court is a truly welcoming home. The house, formerly the home of the Cole family, Earls of Enniskillen, is surrounded by a large area of parkland, garden and woodland, with breathtaking views to Benaughlin and the Cuilcagh Mountains. Discover many serene and beautiful corners by exploring the Pleasure Grounds and the Walled Garden in this magnificent demesne.

Set on the shores of scenic Lough Erne, bordered by private grounds and gardens, the Killyhevlin is a long established family run hotel, located only 1km from the historic town of Enniskillen. All 70 spacious bedrooms and suites at this four star Hotel have been individually designed and decorated to an exceptional standard, giving a classically luxurious edge.

Do I need an iPhone???

2010-08-12T14:42:00.000+01:00

Over the last number of months many of my friends have been getting iPhones and telling me about how great they are. I've been a loyal Nokia fan for almost 10 years (on O2) and haven't been tempted into the iPhone just yet.
I know if looks cool, hip and trendy. My sister, sister-in-law and neice already have one but are they not just status symbols? My Nokia still allows phone calls, tells the time, surf the web and downloads email.
Let's look at the Advantages:
Brand, Apps, Coolness
What about the Disadvantages;
Large, expensive, too cool for me.

I've always been a PC person and never got into Apple and that maybe a problem I have to overcome.

Interestingly there are now large volumes of business being done on smart phones. The Belmore Court & Motel, Enniskillen has experienced a large increase in mobile visitors to our website which has resulted in a number of booking from the iPhone platform for the 1st time.

Do you have an iPhone? Would you book hotels & holidays on it? Visit our mobile site and let me know what you think.

More importantly - should I buy one?

Belmore Court attends Internet conference

2010-06-18T09:21:00.000+01:00

Terry McCartney, Owner/Manager of the Belmore Court & Motel, Enniskillen recently attended the Northern Ireland Hotels' Federation Internet Workshop. The event, held at the Malone Lodge Hotel, was supported Tourism Ireland and featured Shaa Wasmund from Smarta.

Sháá Wasmund is a respected marketing strategist who has worked with the Government, social networkers and major brands such as Dyson. She also set up Smarta, an online social media site for small businesses, encouraging them to develop brands and strive for success. Her inspirational session at last year's Hospitality Exchange resulted in demands for her to return!

Internet strategist Sháá returned to Northern Ireland to look at strategies guaranteed to increase audiences and get the message across. She also focused on the many facets of social media and give an insight into how these platforms could work for us. In the interactive session Sháá went online to give relevant examples for operations large and small.

The Belmore Court & Motel already has a good social media presence with the following websites:

Which side of the bed?

2010-05-09T21:17:00.000+01:00

Our first major competition on the Belmore Court & Motel facebook fan page proved a major success. More than 75 entries tagged or commented on which side of the bed they preferred.
About 3/4 of entrants were female and they were evenly split between both sides of the bed. The men prefered the righthand side. Quite a few didn't really care but just wanted to enter the competition.
The beds in the new Belmore Court Superior & Executive rooms at high quality are made by Respa (Kelletts) in Oldcastle. The doubles at 6ft x 6ft 6", the singles are 3ft x 6ft 6".
A number of male partners don't really have a choice of which side they sleep on!!!!. Children also seem to end up in these beds with parents.
Congratulations to Michelle Thompson who won the competition.

Gary Robinson sponsored by Belmore Court & Motel

2010-04-28T08:13:00.001+01:00

For the 2nd year in a row Fermanagh motorcyclist, Gary Robinson, has been sponsored by the Belmore Court & Motel. After last years successful partnership between Gary and the Motel an additional year has been added to the agreement. Gary hopes to compete in all the Major road races throughout Northern Ireland, including the North West 200, and even a few further away. We at the Belmore Court & Mote, Enniskillen wish him good luck with all his races and hope he'll carry many brochures to give out when touring the province and beyond.

Enniskillen Model School visit the Belmore Court

2010-04-24T08:27:00.000+01:00

Last week P1M visited the Belmore Court & Motel. About 25 children including the owner, Terry McCartney's daughter, Ellie, came over as part of their classwork project about human habitats.

Mrs Murry and her class toured a range of the accommodation types including standard, superior and executive rooms before have a question and answer session in the Belmore Room.

At this time the kids also got juice and biscuits to help keep them quiet.

Belmore Court & Motel gains AA 4 Star status

2010-04-21T21:54:00.000+01:00

Hi Folks

Following our mystery inspection by the AA they have awarded the Belmore Court & Motel AA 4 Star Guest Accommodation.

The AA assesses establishments that offer accommodation to a set of common quality standards. These standards are agreed by the AA and the UK tourist authorities: VisitBritain, VisitScotland and Visit Wales. Accommodation is assessed under three broad categories: Hotel, Guest Accommodation and Budget Hotel.

Guest Accommodationis any establishment that meets the minimum entry requirements is eligible for this general category.

From 2006, Stars replaced Diamonds as the AA's rating system for guest accommodation. Star ratings, from one to five, are used to assess guest accommodation. The following is a brief summary of standards expected from guest accommodation within their ratings.

	Minimum quality requirements for cleanliness, maintenance, hospitality, facilities and service. A cooked or substantial continental breakfast is served in a dining room or eating area, or bedroom only.
	Courteous service, well-maintained beds, and breakfast prepared with a good level of care.
	A friendly welcome and good-quality, well-presented beds and furniture. A choice of good-quality, freshly cooked food is available at breakfast.
	Attentive, more personalised service. At least half of the bedrooms are ensuite or have private bathrooms. Very good beds and high quality furniture. Breakfast offers a greater choice, and fresh ingredients are cooked and presented with a high level of care.
	Awareness of each guest's needs with nothing being too much trouble. All bedrooms are ensuite or have a private bathroom. Excellent quality beds and furnishings. Breakfast includes specials/home-made items, high quality ingredients, and fresh local produce.

As part of the inspection visit the AA representative visit a number of rooms in both the Belmore Court & Motel - Executive, Superior and Standard rooms. He also looked at the conference rooms and commented about the Breakfast Room.

The report praised the cleanliness, comfort and facilities of the Belmore Court & Motel rooms, the service at reception and the location/parking.

Once are where we can improve is the Breakfast Room. The Inspector felt we could add more of a service element by adding a welcome on entrance and a better coffee and this is something we will look about improving.

I'd be interested to hear any comments.

Belmore Court & Motel looking for local PR / Design company to help in 2010

2010-04-17T14:49:00.000+01:00

We have now allocated our budget for the 2010/11 year at the Belmore Court & Motel and are looking for a local PR company to help plan and design the year ahead in conjuction with our Sales and Marketing Manager & marketing plan.
Last year we used Serious PR and this worked quite effectively. We wil be able to announce our results within the next few weeks.
If you are or know anyone involved in PR & Design you would like to make apitch for our business, please contact terry@motel.co.uk or 028 6632 6633.

The Hotel Inspector visited us last night

2010-04-14T13:48:00.001+01:00

Just like on Channel 5's The Hotel Inspector, the AA man arrived last night and the Belmore Court & Motel as a mystery guest. Imagine my surprise as I checked him out this morning and he introduced himself to me.

I must admit I must disappointed it wasn't Ruth Watson or Alex Polizzi but never the less the gentleman - who wants to remain nameless - asked to speak with me for 20-30 minutes. I was terrified. What would he say? Would he like the accommodation? My stomach was sick.

The inspector asked for a tour of the premises and I showed him the Motel Standard Rooms and the other Belmore Court Superior and Executive Rooms. He seemed very impressed with all the types of accommodation. I also got to show him the various meeting rooms.

We then sat down at breakfast and he explained his role and the procedure the AA use to grade and classify accommodation. He was very detailed and suggested that the category we would best fit in would be the AA Guest Accommodation. If I was happy with this he would proceed with that category and the check his notes and reply within 7 working days as to the star rating 1 to 5 stars.

The report will detail the service received at time of booking, the followup information, the check in, the stay, facilities and breakfast.

Once I recieve this report I let you know the detail.

New Blog for the Belmore Court & Motel

2010-04-13T11:29:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the new blog for the Belmore Court & Motel.

Over the next few weeks I'll be setting up this blog and testing and tweaking the blog.

Please bear with me while this is in progress. In the mean time join us on Belmore Court & Motel on Facebook.

Thanks

Terry

Through the door masterclass in Enniskillen

2010-03-03T14:12:00.000Z

Enniskillen is the first venue for a Northern Ireland wide series of free networking and master class events called ‘Through the Door’, practical lessons on attracting and retaining customers, organised by People 1st the sector skills council for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism sector

This breakfast event takes place on Thursday 11th March, from 8.15am to 10.30am in the Westville Hotel, Enniskillen.

Stressing the opportunity the event offers Fermanagh businesses Roisin McKee People 1st said:

“Customers are the lifeblood of our industry and attracting and retaining them is even more crucial in these challenging times. Our aim is that employers will leave these events inspired and enthused and most of all equipped with the right training tools to grow their people and their product. A new tool we’ll be highlighting is the website www.uksp.co.uk which is a one stop shop for employers and employees on funding, jobs, careers and skills.”

Guest speaker at the Enniskillen masterclass will be South Armagh born Hugh Daly known as the serial entrepreneur having bought and sold many successful businesses by the age of 35. He began his business career in South Armagh aged 6 when his father gave him a pig. Humble yet hilarious Hugh Daly is passionate about business and what it takes for individuals and organisations to succeed.

Business and training advisors will be on hand to advise on opportunities, funding and programmes to benefit businesses. Exhibitors at the event will include People 1st, the Department for Employment and Learning, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and South West College.

This event is organised by People 1st with funding support from the Department for Employment and Learning as part of the Future Skills Action Plan for Hospitality and Tourism and is also in partnership with Fermanagh District Council and Fermanagh Lakeland Tourism in support of the Destination Fermanagh Tourism Strategy.

Picture (L-R) Roisin McKee (People 1st), Charlotte (Enniskillen Tourist Information Centre) & Terry McCartney (Belmore Court & Motel)

TripAdvisor Number 1 in Northern Ireland

2009-12-10T14:24:00.000Z

The Belmore Court & Motel, Enniskillen has recently been voted number 1 accommodation base in Northern Ireland according to thousands of reviews on the review site - TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor has the world's most trusted travel advice. Find and book a convenient and comfortable hotel, or find a vacation rental for a memorable getaway .

The Belmore Court & Motel is now Number 1 on TripAdviso r for Northern Ireland.

Top-Rated Hotels

Anyone can access tripAdvisor and give details of their experience during their stay at any Hotel, Motel or B & B.

Click here to read the recent Belmore Court & Motel Reviews

Great lakeland area Great place to stay - The location is close enough to the centre of Enniskillen to walk and easy to get to by car.Quiet.Adequate parking by the motel.The rooms are spacious and clean.... Yorkshire

Perfect location, friendly staff, would stay again - Hotel is located near all the main shopping outlets, staff are extremely friendly and helpful... Carlow

500 rooms at £50/room

2009-12-03T14:28:00.000Z

03 December 2009

To celebrate reaching 500 fans on the Belmore Court & Motel Facebook Fan Page we are selling up to 500 rooms at £50 per room per night bed and continental breakfast for a limited time only - Friday 4th December 2009 10am to 6pm. Advance Purchase Rates apply. Online Bookings Only.

Come to Enniskillen, stay over and enjoy the fabulous new Belmore Court Superior Accommodation for just £50 per room bed and continental breakfast.

The new Belmore Court offers 30 modern, superior and executive bedrooms and with a choice of double, twin, triple and family rooms, the Belmore Court is perfect for business or leisure stays. Finished to the highest of standards, these rooms offer a new level of luxury, space and style. Recently we have been voted top accommodation in Enniskillen and 3rd in Northern Ireland. Read the Belmore Court & Motel reviews or write your own.

Select dates on the right hand side or BOOK NOW - Just select the Advance Purchase Rate - If it's gone it's gone!

Bookings must be made on Friday between 10am and 6pm for dates from Sunday 6th December 2009 to 31st March 2010.

Be Quick - They wont last long!!!!!

_{Terms and Conditions}

_{500 rooms will be made available from 10am on Friday 4th December until 6pm Friday 6th December.}

_{Subject to availability}

_{Advance Purchase Rates - The full amount must be paid at time of booking.}

_{No refunds or changes allowed.}

Don't forget sign up to our Facebook Fan Page and you'll be entered into our free draw for a 2 night break in one of our Executive Suites. Draw takes place on 8th December 2009 @ 6pm

British Final Festival of One Act Plays

2009-07-01T14:31:00.000+01:00

Ardhowen Theatre is pleased to host this exciting Finals Festival which features the winning 1 Act plays from each of the festival competitions in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

Ardhowen Theatre is pleased to host the 2009 final which was last staged here in Enniskillen sixteen years ago. The four productions in the Festival, one from each of Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, are the four eventual winning plays that have come through a huge number of 1 act festivals all over Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As you can imagine, as winners of their own region, the quality of these four productions is excellent, offering a great chance for local audiences to see some superb comedy and drama in a great festival weekend which features two different plays on each night of the Festival. The overall award of the coveted Howard De Walden trophy will go to the winner.

For further information log onto www.audf.org.uk

Friday 3rd July 7.30pm: Northern Ireland and Scotland

Saturday 4th July 7.30pm: England and Wales

Minister for Tourism opens the Belmore Court & Motel

2009-05-01T14:33:00.000+01:00

01 May 2009

Arlene Foster the Northern Ireland Minister for Tourism officially opened the new Belmore Court building along with Miss Northern Ireland, Judith Wilson and Robert Cully from the NITB

A major £2.5 million development of 30 new bedrooms was launched on Friday 1 May at 2.00pm. Flying in the face of recessionary gloom, Fermanagh-based hotelier Terry McCartney launched the new extension to theBelmore Court & Motel inEnniskillen – the only motel in the province – to a VIP audience including Tourism MinisterArlene Foster MLA; Howard Hastings, Chairman of the NITB; a select group of international tour operators; and current Miss Northern Ireland, Judith Wilson, who is a former receptionist at the motel.

The Belmore Court & Motel has been in operation for nearly twenty years, and was opened by local man, Raymond McCartney, who was inspired to build the motel after his extensive travels in the US.

Carrying the torch of Raymond’s entrepreneurial vision, son Terry has been planning the newly opened extension for four years. The latest development includes a welcome area with reception facility and lounge seating, where guests can check-in leisurely while having access to local tourist information.

Designed to be responsive to changing preferences in the marketplace and increasing consumer expectations, Terry has included a mix of doubles, triples, quad rooms and suites in the new complex. The development includes a mix of both superior and executive rooms, all larger than standard rooms, and fully furnished with extras, such as state-of-the-art flatscreen multi-channel televisions, iPod docking stations and free Wi-Fi.