Sleepwell Hotels is pleased to announce the introduction of a series of exclusive heritage tours, which are to take place across the Isle of Man this autumn. Sleepwell Hotels will be spear-heading the initiative and has teamed up with Manx National Heritage to create the special packages, which will see a team of leading experts, historians, curators and heritage site-managers accompany visitors throughout their stay and provide them with an unparalleled insight into the rich natural and cultural heritage the Island has to offer.
The move comes as part of both Sleepwell Hotels and Manx National Heritage’s long-term plans to further enhance the Isle of Man’s reputation as a nation of profound historical significance, cultural complexity and natural beauty. Guests will be given the unique opportunity to visit key heritage sites across the Island ranging from the Neolithic and medieval to the Victorian periods and will do so whilst immersed in the finer points of Manx culture.
The all-inclusive packages include a range of luxury dining experiences at many of the Island’s award winning restaurants, including Coast Brasserie , while the specially tailored Hop tu Naa heritage package will give them the chance to celebrate this unique Manx festival, along with the ‘bringing home of the harvest’ with a Mheillea or Traditional Manx Harvest Supper. Once the guests have arrived on-island, all travel arrangements are also all-inclusive and feature a complimentary Heritage Explorer Ticket, which allows comprehensive access to the Island’s national heritage sites and a wide variety of transport including the Manx Electric Railway, Victorian Steam railway, horse-drawn trams and bus services.
A fully supervised itinerary will also ensure that visitors discover the Island through the eyes of those who know it best and is to include talks by heritage guides, local historians and leading experts, introductory film screenings and a chance to fully interact with Manx culture by learning some Manx Gaelic, listening and dancing to traditional Manx folk-music, and meeting the Manx cats. Heritage enthusiasts will also have the unique opportunity to study Manx culture with all the advantages of 21st Century technology at the Manx Museum, Grove Museum, House of Manannan and the iMuseum – including unprecedented access to special museum collections not on general public display.
Sleepwell’s award-winning, flagship hotel, The Claremont will receive the guests during their four-night stay, giving them the opportunity to explore the Island’s bustling capital from its centre and explore the delights of a Victorian holiday town from the comfort of a luxury, four-star hotel. From there, they will travel to all corners of the Island visiting key heritage sites such as the perfectly preserved, medieval Castle Rushen, the Cistercian Rushen Abbey, the world’s oldest continuous parliament Tynwald, The Great Laxey Wheel and the Cregneash Village – all fully escorted by experts from Manx National Heritage.
Managing Director of Sleepwell Hotels, Mark Wilson commented on the announcement, “This is an exciting opportunity for The Claremont, Manx National Heritage and Island culture as a whole. At present, all investment in this project is being funded by Sleepwell, however the heritage packages that Manx National Heritage have put together are excellent and showcase the Island’s history and culture in such a way that I am sure this will be a hugely successful private and public sector initiative. As well as the financial rewards and associated increase in footfall to the Heritage sites this could bring, there are naturally other mutual benefits involving the long-term protection and retention of the Island’s extraordinary natural and heritage assets.”
Head of Public Services for Manx National Heritage, Gaynor Haxby also commented on the exclusive packages, “The success of Manx National Heritage is dependent on a firm and lasting relationship with all sectors of the local community, both public and corporate. The integrity and innovativeness of our services is something we pride ourselves in and we hope that this great joint-marketing initiative will go some way to securing our lasting legacy with a wider audience.”
