As the only five-star hotel, many people regard Ruths Hotel as more like a luxury hotel than a seaside hotel, and this is due mainly to Jørgen Philip-Sørensen and his ambition.
In January 2010 we lost our beloved and highly respected owner and manager, Jørgen Philip-Sørensen. Philip died at his home on 18 January and was buried on Friday 29 January in Skagen. After a beautiful ceremony in Skagen Church, he was buried in the cemetery here in Gl. Skagen.
Philip loved Skagen and was here as often as possible. When you consider that he has worked all over the world, we were lucky to have him here as much as we did. Every year Philip spent the entire summer in Gl. Skagen with his immediate family, so we often had the honour of his company.
Philip was always very involved in the operation of his two hotels in Gl. Skagen - the Strandhotel and Ruths Hotel. He owned the Strandhotel since 1979 and purchased Ruths Hotel in 2003. I am also sure that he consciously planned to be buried here in Gl. Skagen so that he could keep an eye on us and make sure we take good care of everything.
We all miss him, his visits, his manner, his good ideas and wise words and his character on the patio in summer, accompanied by a glass of chilled rosé wine and the indispensable cigar. It's hard to understand that we won't see him again, but nice to know that his soul remains in Gl. Skagen.
The hotels remains in family ownership, and Philip's four adult children continue to operate the hotels exactly as their father did, with a focus on the best standards and quality.
Philip made an immense impression on Gl. Skagen and the Skagen area in general. Danish Yacht, Ruths Hotel, Restaurant Sømærket, the Strandhotel and, not least, the lifeboat station in Gl. Skagen are all clear indications of this.