South West hospitality and leisure businesses including The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa in Bath have been recognised by England’s official tourist board as among the nation’s best.
The five-star accommodation in the UNESCO World Heritage city fended off competition from Hotel Indigo Durham and The Langham hotel in London to be crowned Large Hotel of the Year at Visit England Awards for Excellence.
The 45-room grade I-listed building was among 19 national gold award winners honoured at a ceremony held at the Library of Birmingham last week (June 8).
General manager Lorraine Jarvie said: “It is an absolute honour for us to have been awarded gold by Visit England for this category. This serves as a testament to the hard work and commitment of our entire team, who continue to provide our guests with the best possible service while maintaining the highest of standards.”
The Cotley Inn in Somerset’s Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty won pub of the year, with 16th-century Dorset coach house The Acorn Inn took silver.
The 25 Boutique B&B near Torquay’s seafront struck gold in the Bed and Breakfast and Guesthouse of the Year category.
Cornish sailing school Mylor Sailing and Powerboat School took home two prizes on the night. As well as Experience of The Year, the business near Falmouth also won the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award for removing barriers to its activities, including the introduction of a wheelchair-friendly powerboat.
Three Mile Beach - a collection of fifteen luxury self-catering beach houses in Gwithian, Cornwall - won the New Tourism Business of the Year Award.
Dorset’s Nothe Fort, a 19th-century royal navy base-turned-heritage attraction in Weymouth, was named Small Visitor Attraction of the Year.
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