The Booking Hero Story

In November 2017 Booking.com invited customers to nominate a #BookingHero – someone who went above and beyond to make their stay unforgettable.  I received a phone call at the beginning of December 2017 from the Edinburgh office of Booking.com, telling me I was one of 3 winners!  I didn't believe it until I got confirmation from Amsterdam.  I was nominated by Dave and Virginia, a couple from Canada who stayed with me several times over a period  of a month in May - June 2017.  Dave had been looking for his roots, he knew his father was born in Ayr and that his grandparents lived here.  Their search took them to Tarbolton and to Ireland and in between, but it was only when I went on to the Scotland's People website that we found the marriage certificate of his grandparents.  Scottish registers are very detailed and included in the certificate was the address of where the groom was living at the time of the marriage.  It was literally 5 minutes walk from Blackburn Villa B&B!

In the middle of January we were all flown to Amsterdam to attend the final session of the Booking.com Annual Meeting.  This was an amazing experience where all 3 videos were shown and the winner announced!  I am so proud of having been nominated and also of having won of course. Can't wait to use some of my winnings to visit Dave and Virginia in Vancouver Island!  Enjoy the video and have a tissue handy!

Update! So I did go to Canada, in the autumn of 2019, just before the Covid pandemic hit. I spent a wonderful week with Dave and Virginia on Vancouver Island before driving across British Columbia into Alberta and up through the Banff National Park, an incredible journey! And then Dave and Virginia returned to Scotland in the Spring of 2022 and stayed with me for a few days - only this time as friends!