Charlotte Dixon had never expected to become a business owner when she spotted a property up for sale on the north coast. Fast forward a year, the Co Derry woman has found a new passion since opening her stylish boutique hotel in Portrush.
Originally from Portstewart, Charlotte left home to study in Scotland before moving to England but her heart was always with the coast wherever she went. Opening Elephant Rock Hotel has allowed her to leave her mark in the place she loves so much.
Speaking to Belfast Live, she said: "I left at 18 to study Chemistry at the University of St. Andrews, which is in a small coastal town in Scotland not too dissimilar to home. I stayed there after graduating to complete a Ph.D in Physical Chemistry.
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"I then moved to Manchester for three years and was working for an academic publisher, which I did enjoy to begin with but I was looking to get out of it when the opportunity came up to open the hotel at home. I moved back to NI temporarily for the first lockdown as I was able to work from home.
"While I had enjoyed Manchester, coming back to Portstewart brought it home to me that I love living on the coast and kind of killed the big city dream for me. My partner is still there and we have since moved out of the city centre so I go back and forth between there and Northern Ireland."
Charlotte said the "seed had been planted" in her head when she first heard about the property going on the market but it wasn't until she stepped inside that she could see its full potential before her eyes.
"It was definitely a bigger project than we had been expecting and we flipped between getting excited at the potential and thinking we should leave immediately and not look back! However, by the time we had finished the viewing, we had fallen in love with the place.
"When we found out that we had been successful and received the keys, we set about the 12-month transformation into the hotel as you see it today, which included the addition of 4 new bedrooms and a complete redesign of the interior. We felt that there was a gap in the market in Portrush for the type of hotel we wanted to create - a boutique style design hotel with a bit of luxury," she explained.
Despite Charlotte and her mother, who is a co-owner, not having any experience in owning a hospitality business, they have taken to their new venture like naturals and have not looked back since.
Charlotte added: "We were very focused on our vision of what it should be and we never veered from that, which I think turned out to be important as we ended up with a product we are very passionate about."
The name Elephant Rock came in what Charlotte described as a "Eureka moment" as she wanted to use inspiration from the local area but was unsure of the direction to head. After learning that there was a rock formation off the coast in Ballintoy named Elephant Rock, everything fell into place.
"I was perhaps taking a bit of artistic licence as Ballintoy is around 30 minutes' drive up the coast but depending on how far you are travelling to visit us, you could argue that it is local," she laughed.
"Adrian Bailie, the interior designer, is one of our good friends and when he heard the name he was overflowing with ideas on where he wanted to take the decor. Enlisting Adrian for the project was a no-brainer as his ideas are always so exciting and we knew he would be the person to create a hotel that was bold and got people talking.
"My mother also played a large part in the creation as she loves interior design and has always been daring with her choices and a bit of a trailblazer - my own taste has been shaped hugely by her. From day one, we all agreed that we didn't want it to be boring, we wanted something that wasn't playing it safe, that would give people that important bit of escapism from the every day that we all seek on a holiday."
The hotel has 18 bedrooms, incredible sea views, a restaurant and two cocktail bars - one of which she named after her late grandmother Violet, who she knows would have so loved to see their creation.
After opening in February this year, Charlotte explained it has been "such a pleasure" to meet the smiling faces who have come through the doors so far.
She continued: "After a long year of building and planning, it is so rewarding to see guests enjoying the hotel. I think that will always be special to me. It does of course have its challenges as you can imagine, but the staff we have are truly excellent and I can see they share our passion for the place.
"We are just getting into the peak season in Portrush and with Barrys re-opening as Currys and the golf tourism we attract to the North Coast, I believe it is the right time for Elephant Rock to arrive. In terms of the beautiful backdrop, I think it is something I was guilty of taking for granted when younger but now I realise how lucky I was to grow up in an area of such outstanding natural beauty."
Charlotte added: "There have been a few guests who have already visited several times and are beginning to see it as a home away from home and I love to see that. If we can be that hotel for anyone, that is a win for me!"
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