A Fort William bed and breakfast has been named one of the best in the world by reviewers on the world’s largest online travel site.
Torlinnhe Guest House has been announced as 11th best on the planet and fifth in the UK and seventh in Europe in the 2023 Travellers’ Choice Tripadvisor Best of the Best awards for hotels.
The eight-room bed and breakfast, on Achintore Road, received more than 1,000 excellent reviews on the site.
It has been run by Mark and Larisa Rossi since 2019.
Tempting opportunity
The couple moved to Lochaber from London so that Mark could take up the role of executive chef under Albert Michel Roux at Inverlochy Castle.
The plan was to stay in that position for a number of years but when they saw Torlinnhe for sale in 2019 it was too tempting an opportunity to miss.
Mark said: “We had one good year of trading and then two Covid years.
“This is our third year of being ranked within the top 20 B&Bs in the world and within the UK and Europe.
“It all started during Covid and we’ve managed to sustain it.
“After picking up the keys in 2019 we haven’t looked back.”
Years of hospitality experience
The couple, parents to five-year-old Sophie and one-year-old Oliver, have strong connections in the hospitality industry.
Mark has worked at a number of fine dining and Michelin star restaurants across the country such as Chez Nico, The Square Restaurant and Gidleigh Park.
Larisa has years of experience in restaurant management roles at Michael Caine’s restaurant in Manchester, The Square, Restaurant Story and Nobu in London, and Gidleigh Park in the West Country.
They viewed the move to the Highlands as an opportunity to allow them a better balance in their work and family life.
Mark said: “We are still in a food led business but it’s more family friendly.
“We’ve taken the view that while our family is in its infancy we would manage a property like this. It give us a work and life balance.
“As the family grows we will look to upscale this to do something more of what we want to do.”
Future plans
They have spent a high five-figure sum on renovating the B&B since taking over.
This includes adding two more bedrooms and updating the interior.
Plans for extensions to create three apartments and a guest dining area have also recently been approved leading to more investment.
Torlinnhe Guest House stands at the foot of Ben Nevis and boasts views of Loch Linne and the Ardgour hills.
Every year, Tripadvisor trawls through millions of reviews from its global community of travellers to uncover the hotels and B&Bs that people raved about most.
