Troon marina celebrates 5 Gold Anchors

Troon marina celebrates 5 Gold Anchors © PeterSandground

Thanks to a £1.5million investment in Scotland's most accessible West Coast marina and a staunch team effort, Troon Yacht Haven have been awarded the highly acclaimed 5 Gold Anchors award.

The Yacht Harbour Association's (TYHA) world-renowned marina quality assurance scheme.

Stephen Bennie, Director at Troon explained; "We're delighted and extremely proud of our prestigious award. Thanks to significant investment and extensive work from the team - who've carried on quietly and professionally with no inconvenience to customers - our marina now reflects Troon Yacht Haven's commitment to excellence."

Achieving 5 Gold Anchors is no mean feat, with an independent assessor undertaking a rigorous audit: reviewing procedures, assessing customer feedback, "mystery shopping" and scoring the marina facilities. No buoys or pontoons left unturned!

Troon berth holder Steve Lunnon said; "It's great to see re-investment in the marina. By far the best marina, boatyard, and staff we've ever come across. The facilities are spotless, the boatyard clean, safe, and tidy and the staff go the extra mile, regularly checking boats and lines, especially in big winds. We've witnessed from the get-go; the team strike that perfect balance between professional and friendly. It's fabulous they've got their 5 Gold Anchors."

One of the nine European locations for Yacht Havens Group, this Ayrshire marina have made gigantic strides in recent years. Securing a whopping £1.5million + investment, Troon have embraced the needs of the 21st century boat enthusiast, upgrading and improving every aspect of the Troon Yacht Haven experience.

For convenience and comfort

The marina team have been quietly working away at upgrading facilities; refurbishing berth holder's washrooms and toilets, adding a sparkly new launderette, installing electric car charging points, creating a comfortable berth holder lounge with live weather station data, free Wi-Fi throughout and new 32 Amp electricity on the pontoons.

For reassurance and choice

Adding berthing on the flexible new Walcon 12m and 10.5m finger pontoons, more electricity bollards throughout, eco-friendly LED lighting around the pontoons, improved CCTV across the entire site for added safety and security, and 17 new Wi-Fi access points for improved connectivity.

"A well-deserved 5 Gold Anchor rating. Top class shoreside facilities, including the new Salt Lodge Hotel, combined with excellent customer service, delivered by friendly and welcoming staff provide a great marina experience for everyone. Congratulations to Stephen, Sarah and the Troon Yacht Haven team!" - Jon White, General Manager at The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) 2022.

The Salt Lodge Hotel

A considerable part of Troon's recent investments was allocated to the careful development of the marina's Salt Lodge hotel. Raising the profile of the shoreside facilities as well as the excellent reputation of Scott's Bar & Restaurant, giving both marina customers and the local community excellent dining facilities.

The Assessor experienced The Salt Lodge facilities first-hand with an overnight stay, concluding that the rooms were exceptionally comfortable, warm and with plenty of hot water in the bathroom. Recognising the thoughtfulness of fresh milk in the fridge.

With a choice of 1 and 2-bedroom (pet friendly) suites, thoughtfully constructed, guests can kick back on their own deck and gaze out over the Firth of Clyde, before going back inside to enjoy the comfortable trappings of quality bedding/towels, lounge area with large TV and Netflix, kitchenette with fridge and microwave and outside wash area for muddy boots and paws.

Despite a soft launch, in between lockdowns, The Salt Lodge already scores an exceptional 9.5/10 from 270 reviews on Booking.com, proving a firm favourite on the Ayrshire coast, with one reviewer writing "Loved everything about our stay here. All of the staff go above and beyond. The apartment was perfect - cosy, clean, beautifully furnished, very comfortable beds, and an amazing view of the marina. All of the little touches added up."

Back in 2017, Troon Yacht Haven was voted Best UK Marina/Harbour in the Sailing Today awards, beating off stiff competition from Cornwall, Solent, east of England and Channel Island marinas.

With the marina's facilities and infrastructure now matching the site's quality of customer service, the independent assessor concluded "Stephen and his team, hold customer service as a high priority and work closely to achieve this." Speaking directly with berth holders, who were "very complimentary on the overall management and service of the Troon Yacht Haven team."

"We feel like for the Troon team, it's a passion, not just a job." - Berth holders - Stevie and Jill Lunnon (11.3m sailing yacht).