Sheraton Grand's first team member celebrates 40 years service
A long-serving team member at Edinburgh's Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa is celebrating 40 years of service in the same year the hotel itself turns 40.
Many know Wayne Hutchison as the welcoming doorman in a kilt but may be unaware that he was one of the first employees through the doors when the Sheraton Grand opened in 1985 on Lothian Road.
Four decades on, he remains a well liked and respected member of the team, known for his warmth, professionalism, and unwavering dedication.
Wayne's journey was inspired by his father, who worked in the hotel's housekeeping department. Following in those footsteps, Wayne became one of the Sheraton Grand's founding team members, a living link between the hotel's first day, culminating in its 40th anniversary celebration this year.
Wayne said: 'When I started back in 1985, I never imagined I'd still be here 40 years later. The hotel has changed and grown over the years, but the sense of pride in what we do has stayed the same. I've worked with so many amazing people, and I'm proud to have played a small part in its story.'
To celebrate this remarkable milestone, Wayne was honoured with a special presentation at the hotel, where colleagues gathered to share memories and toast his contribution.
Martijn Zengerink, General Manager of the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa said: 'Wayne is one of a kind. As one of our very first employees, he's witnessed every chapter of our hotel's evolution and helped write many of them.
'His loyalty, warmth and professionalism have had a lasting impact on everyone who has had the pleasure to work with him. His 40 years of service is a remarkable achievement and one that deserves real recognition.'
The milestone comes as the Sheraton Grand marks its own 40th anniversary in 2025, with both Wayne and the hotel sharing a legacy of excellence, experience and award-winning service.
The Sheraton Grand remains one of Edinburgh's leading luxury hotels and in its 40th year is continuing to receive industry recognition.
Its award-winning One Spa has been shortlisted in the Good Spa Guide Awards 2025, where the public was encouraged to vote ahead of the gala ceremony in November.
Wayne continues to be a much-valued part of the Sheraton Grand family, the doorman in the kilt who represents the very best of Scottish hospitality and a shining example of the people who make five-star service possible.
Wayne the concierge at Shearton Grand
Like this:
Like
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
27 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Rangers' new owners warned over manager appointment they must 'be wary of' as risk factor explained
Former Rangers chairman has say on search for new boss Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rangers' new owners must be wary of appointing a foreign manager who is unfamiliar with Scottish football. That is according to former chairman Dave King who has stressed that the demands of managing the Ibrox club can be a challenge for an outsider to come to terms with. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rangers are entering a new era under the ownership of a US-consortium headed up by private healthcare tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers, after King and other major Rangers shareholders agreed to sell their stake in the club. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell has confirmed that a new manager will be appointed in the 'coming days' with Davide Ancelotti and Russell Martin understood to be the two leading candidates, while Francesco Farioli, the recently departed Ajax head coach, is also believed to be in the running. Rangers managerial candidate Davide Ancelotti on the Real Madrid touchline with his father, Carlo Ancelotti. | Getty Images Ancelotti is seeking his first head coach position after serving as assistant to his father, Carlo Ancelotti, most recently at Real Madrid, and previously at Everton, Napoli and Bayern Munich. Martin, meanwhile, is looking to get back into management after being sacked by Southampton last season, having won promotion to the Premier League the previous year. The former Scotland defender spent six months on loan at Rangers in 2018. King previously threw his weight behind a return for Steven Gerrard, saying he was the "obvious" choice, before the man who brought title number 55 to Ibrox was ruled out of the running due to family commitments. After the failed Philippe Clement tenure, King feels that another foreign appointment would be a risk for the Ibrox club, although he backed the new owners to "manage" the risk should they decide to go down that route. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Former Rangers chairman Dave King believes a foreign manager would be a risky appointment. | SNS Group Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "If I look at who is available for the club, I think it's quite a challenge for them because when you're bringing in a new manager I refer to the Glasgow environment. "Some people think that's a little bit unfair but certainly in my experience, Mark Warburton and others all thought they got the Glasgow thing. But until you get to Glasgow you don't get the Glasgow thing. Even someone like Steven (Gerrard) who came from Liverpool where you think is closer to the Glasgow thing. "Once you come in and you're managing one of the two big clubs in Glasgow, you can try and think you understand it and you can speak to people who have been there before, but until you actually get in there you don't really get it. "So I think that's the factor that I would be wary of and I think the 49ers will consider about bringing in a European manager that's got no experience of Scottish football at all. That's going to go from Champions League qualifiers to going off to the north of Scotland on a drab, wet, windy, horrible Wednesday evening and try to motivate your players and get results out of them.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Burger chain which suddenly closed restaurants making shock return to Scots city
They had previously blamed the cost-of-living crisis for closing their previous city restaurant WE'RE BACK Burger chain which suddenly closed restaurants making shock return to Scots city Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A POPULAR restaurant chain, which abruptly closed several of its Scottish locations earlier this year, is set to make a comeback. Monterey Jack's is renowned for its gourmet American-style burgers, hot dogs, nachos, and cocktails. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 They are set to reopen in Glasgow this month Credit: Scottish Sun 4 Signage has appeared in the shopping centre Credit: Scottish Sun 4 Monterey Jack's announces return of their restaurant to Glasgow Credit: Scottish Sun However, over the past year, the franchise lost several locations, including Dunfermline, East Kilbride, and Glasgow City Centre. At the time, bosses attributed the closures to the cost-of-living crisis, staffing challenges, and tough economic conditions. The chain currently operates six locations across Scotland. But there is good news on the horizon for the burger brand, as it prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Monterey Jack's is set to make a significant return to the country's largest city after losing its central Glasgow location. The new venue is expected to open this month. Signage has already appeared in the St Enoch Centre, indicating a new location is on its way. Large branding has been installed in the shopping precinct's newest food court, accompanied by a "coming soon" sign that reads: "It's happening." The sign also states: "Award-winning, 100 per cent fresh, prime beef burgers. Succulent chicken, gourmet dawgs, delicious fresh shakes and desserts, and a bucket load of sides. You lucky things!" The firm confirmed via its Facebook page that the site is set to open in June 2025 though the exact opening date remains unclear. The Sun tries Wetherspoons' new menu Fans of the chain have taken to the comments to share their excitement about its return. One wrote: "Love MJ's! This will be great when we're shopping in Glasgow!" Another commented: "As centre staff myself, I actually can't wait to try Monterey Jack's UK – never tried it before!" A third added: "I loved the one in Merchant Square. "Such a shame it closed, like most places in there recently. "Looking forward to it opening."
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
I am a professional money expert - but I'm medically rubbish with numbers
For some people, swimming is a great way to clear their head. Not me though. As I swim up and down my local 25 metre pool, I'm busy doing mental arithmetic. My goal is to swim one mile continuously. This equates to 1,609 metres, so dividing that by 25 means I'm aiming to swim 64 lengths. As a result, I keep track of the distance I've done. I often find myself counting, adding, multiplying and dividing – and for the first time in my life, actually enjoying it. My journey towards number confidence over the years has not always gone this swimmingly. This may come as a surprise as I am a money expert and financial journalist, but ever since my childhood, I've struggled with numbers. Maths lessons were mental torture. I didn't know why, as an otherwise straight A student, I couldn't hold this information in my head, or remember my times tables, or grasp everyday concepts like quantities, measurements and distances. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video It was only when I was later diagnosed with dyscalculia, often described as number dyslexia, in my mid-teens, that I finally realised why my brain doesn't easily process or retain numbers. I was fortunate enough to end up with a brilliant teacher while studying for my compulsory maths Standard Grade (the Scottish equivalent of GSCE). He created a calm, disciplined and focused environment in which I could make some basic progress. But even then, I was filled with anxiety and distress at the prospect of having to sit a maths exam. I was referred to the excellent learning needs department of my school, which unlocked my diagnosis. Initially, I felt relieved – this problem wasn't down to me being lazy or stupid. But as the years went on, I started worrying that people would judge me, especially once I moved into money journalism. As I've got older, I've met plenty of women who for some reason feel disconnected from both maths and money And yes, I have occasionally had people questioning my ability to do my job or falsely claim that I'm unable to do basic arithmetic (I know 2 x 2 = 4). But overall, awareness and understanding has increased, and that can only be a good thing. I've picked up lots of coping strategies over the years – from always having a calculator on hand to using visual budgeting tools. But even today, there are corners of finance that I still find taxing. Like… well, tax. Whether it's allowances, relief or deductions, I sometimes need to double check with someone more number-smart than me (namely my dad) whether I've done my sums right. But as hard as I find this stuff, I push through. I know that if I can improve my confidence around numbers, I can be much more capable with my finances and (cue Destiny's Child) an Independent Woman, never having to rely on someone to look after me. Sadly, recent research from National Numeracy shows there is still a stubborn gender gap when it comes to financial confidence. The charity's survey found that women are less comfortable than men talking about money, less confident when it comes to making financial decisions, and more likely to struggle with debt. At the same time, women reported being less confident in their ability to work with numbers compared to men, but they're also more sceptical that improving their numeracy would benefit their financial situation: Only 56% of women see a connection, compared to 65% of men. I have often thought about whether my gender played a role in my historic difficulties with numbers. Growing up, was I somehow conditioned to think maths is for boys? Not particularly – there were plenty of girls around me at school who excelled at maths, including my best friend who is now an accountant. But as I've got older, I've met plenty of women who for some reason feel disconnected from both maths and money, and don't always appreciate that there's a link between the two. Don't get me wrong, I understand why women aren't necessarily rushing to remedial maths classes. How does relearning the isosceles triangle help us put food on the table or cope with expensive childcare? A good start would be a school curriculum that majors much more on real-world financial challenges, such as budgeting, tax, payslips, and debt. Teaching maths through money, rather than the other way round, would help young people get more comfortable with numbers as a fact of life, not something to be afraid of. I also strongly believe the more women we have in public talking about both money and maths, the better. Former Countdown star Rachel Riley and super mathematician Hannah Fry are obvious role models, but different kinds of champions can also cut-through, such as TV presenter Denise Welch and Strictly dancer Katya Jones, who are both ambassadors of National Numeracy (as am I). It's why I appear on BBC Morning Live to talk about finances (and yes, sometimes numbers, carefully checked) in front of more than a million viewers every week. If I encourage anyone watching, including women, to take more control of their money, then the 6.30am call time at the studio is worth it. There are manageable steps we can all take to conquer number phobia. The free online National Numeracy Challenge is a great way to build confidence at a pace and level to suit you. This comprises a simple questionnaire that gauges how comfortable you feel about numbers and what your goals are. Your answers are then used to design an online learning process that's personalised to you. It's all based on maths you'll need in everyday life, and once you start doing quick check-ups (not tests!) on your abilities, you may be pleasantly surprised at how much you're improving. If there's only one money-maths concept you get your head around, make it interest rates. This alone will help you work out how to save and borrow more wisely. For example, you can start to compare the annual percentage rate (APR) on mortgages, credit cards and overdrafts to see if you're getting the best deal. More Trending You should also get into the habit of checking the price per unit on products in supermarkets (usually in tiny print on the label), which helps you compare pure value on products once you strip out differing quantities. For example, there could be two different quantities of milk on the shelf – a one litre carton or a discounted two litre carton. You can compare the unit prices to see if the core value of the two-litre carton is still higher even with the tempting discount. And try flexing your maths muscles in the day-to-day activities you enjoy, whether it's measuring ingredients for baking or mastering complex rhythms in music or dance. View More » Or, like me, calculating lengths in the pool. You never know, you might just like it. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: Average UK house price fell by £1,150 month-on-month in May MORE: I asked my partner to choose the porn I watched for a week MORE: Why I'm scared by a report about Britain's 'minority white' future Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
