Atlantic wins Best Hotel Garden despite Storm Ciarán damage

Monday 22 July 2024

The Atlantic Hotel has been awarded the Best Hotel Garden of the Year 2024 after being severely damaged by Storm Ciarán last November.

Curated by John Taylor, Nick Le Luan, and Rhys Carre, the hotel’s gardens and grounds received an impressive score of 94 out of a possible 100 points from the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society.

Pictured: John Taylor, Nick Le Luan, and Rhys Carre make up the Atlantic Hotel's gardening team.

When the storm hit – with a tornado ripping through Eastern parishes and wind speeds of over 100mph causing island-wide disruption – many of the Atlantic’s iconic pine trees, which had been part of the landscape for decades, were lost.

Some hotel windows were also broken in the storm, and walls around the car park were severely damaged. 

Judged in July, the island-wide RJA&HS competition takes more than just visible beauty into account, also considering the overall health and sustainability of hotel gardens. 

Pictured: Wildflowers in the Atlantic's gardens encourages the support of wildlife 

Patrick Burke, Managing Director of The Atlantic Hotel, expressed his appreciation for his colleagues: “Despite the challenges posed by Storm Ciaran, the gardening team has shown remarkable resilience and commitment, swiftly clearing the debris and preparing the garden for the new season.

"I am incredibly proud of their unwavering dedication and passion for their craft, which has transformed our garden into a sanctuary of beauty and sustainability. It is their relentless hard work, come rain or shine, that has earned us this prestigious award."

He continued: "In the past two years, we have enhanced our garden by sowing wildflowers, leading to a record variety of different flowers this year. Our commitment to wildlife has been demonstrated through the addition of areas designed to support bees, hedgehogs, and nesting birds.

"Moreover, we have increased our composting capacity in collaboration with our food and beverage team, allowing us to nourish our entire garden this season with 100% homemade compost.”