Frontline health heroes are being offered five years’ worth of free stays at the world famous Gleneagles Hotel.
Bosses at the five-star Perthshire establishment want to show their gratitude to NHS workers by donating 365 fee room nights every year for the next five years.
Management said they will work with NHS Scotland and Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland to administer the scheme.
All 14 NHS boards and their partners will be given responsibility to distribute the complimentary bed and breakfast trips from September 1.
The move has scored the support of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who hopes it will encourage other establishments to follow suit. “This is an excellent initiative by Gleaneagles to let our health and social care workforce know how valued they are, not only during this extremely trying time, but always,” she said.
“They have been working tirelessly on the frontline of this pandemic since the beginning and will be fundamental in our fight to suppress the virus going forward.”
She added: “I’m sure this generous gesture will inspire many others to show their support for our essential workers.”
Gleneagles, which is preparing to reopen on July 15, has a connection to healthcare workers stretching back more than 80 years.
The only other time in its history when global events led it to close its doors was World War Two, when the hotel was transformed into a military hospital.
Sharan Pasricha, founder and CEO of owners Ennismore said it felt appropriate to show support during the current global crisis.
“In our own small way, we wanted to reward Scottish NHS workers who have risked their lives for others every day through the pandemic,” he said.
“As most of us have observed the situation develop from the safety of our homes, NHS workers continue to battle this virus courageously and tirelessly on the frontline, enduring tremendous stress and spending time away from loved ones, not to mention the threat to their own lives.”
He said: “This scheme will give thousands of those individuals something to look forward to.”
David Cochrane, chief executive of HIT Scotland added: “We hope that by having such an iconic Scottish institution leading the charge, we can encourage other hospitality companies in the country to come onboard too.”
