Having arrived in Douglas on Tuesday, Youth Team Scotland hasn’t wasted any time in getting settled into the team hotel. Situated on the promenade, the Claremont Hotel will be home to Scotland’s 75 athletes and competitors for the duration of the Games.

The hotel has been transformed into a sea of blue, white and purple, with saltires and thistles hanging from windows and railings. Visitors to the hotel are met by a victorious image of former Youth Games athlete Robbie Renwick, celebrating his 200m freestlye gold in Delhi; which will undoubtedly inspire the class of 2011.

Deputy General Team Manager, Elinor Middlemiss said: “Scotland has a great reputation when it comes to branding our Commonwealth Games accommodation, and the Youth Games is no different. We want to make sure that the experience for the athletes here is as close to a senior Games as possible, and that means we’ll make sure the hotel feels like a home from home.”

“The Claremont is a fantastic hotel, and the staff have been really welcoming to the team. They have accommodated us wonderfully; we have an athlete chill-out room downstairs with some TVs and a dance game, and we have set up our Games HQ in the boardroom.”

Sprinter Tom Holligan (Edinburgh) said: “The hotel has been superb so far. It’s very similar to the set up for the European Youth Olympic Festival in Turkey, but I know the protocols and I feel a lot more at home here.”
Rugby 7s player Chris Auld (Dumfries) added: “Everyone’s relaxing and getting on well; the feeling in the hotel is great. The team building we did at the Team Camp last month has definitely helped everyone settle in here. The hotel has been great so far and we’re all just looking forward to our matches.”

Antigua & Berbuda are also staying in the Claremont Hotel, but with a much smaller contingent of six. “It’s great that we have Antigua & Berbuda staying in the hotel too”, says Elinor. “The athletes are getting to mix with other countries, which is just how it is at a senior Games. It’s all adding to the experience.”