Devon’s Saunton Sands Hotel named Best Loved Hotel of the Year

The Saunton Sands Hotel in Devon has been named the Best Loved Hotel of the Year at the Best Loved Hotels Awards ceremony on 13 November. The Best Loved Awards, now in its third year, aims to represent the ‘best of the best’ of the UK and Ireland’s independently-owned hotels, both across the regions and in twelve specific categories. The four-star Saunton Sands Hotel represented ‘The West Country’ region at the Awards’ regional ceremony last month. Other regional winners contesting for the top award (sponsored by Sky) were: Washingborough Hall, Lincolnshire – ‘East of England’ winner Trefeddian Hotel, Aberdovey – ‘Wales’ winner The Maynard, Derbyshire – ‘Heart of England’ winner Appleby Manor Country House Hotel, Cumbria - ‘The North’ winner The Arch, London - ‘London’ winner Captain’s Club Hotel and Spa, Christchurch - ‘The South’ winner The Four Seasons, Perthshire – ‘Scotland’ winner Great National Ballykisteen Golf Hotel in Ireland – ‘Ireland’ winner In addition, the following businesses won a specialist category award: The Five Arrows, Waddesdon - ‘The Boutique Award’ (Best Small Hotel, sponsored by PSL) The Peat Inn, Fife - ‘The Cellar List’ (Best Hotel Wine List, sponsored by Taittinger) The Milestone Hotel, London - ‘The Extra Mile’ (Best Customer Service, sponsored by Hospitality Impact) Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club, Sussex - ‘Online Excellence’ (Best Hotel Website, sponsored by Hotelfone) Soulton Hall, Shropshire - ‘Easy Being Green’ (Best Eco-Friendly Hotel, sponsored by Fatboys/Gram) The Devonshire Hotel and Restaurants Group - ‘Reservations Please’ (Best Hotel Group, sponsored by Castlemead Insurance) Bovey Castle, Devon - ‘Bring the Kids’ (Best Family Hotel, sponsored by Silverfox, Search) Park House Hotel & Spa, Sussex - ‘The Pampered Guest’ (Best Spa Hotel, sponsored by Zenith Hygiene) Dalhousie Castle Hotel and Aqueous Spa, Scotland – ‘Tie the Knot’ (Best Wedding Hotel, sponsored by Wedding Dates) St Brides Spa Hotel, Pembrokeshire - ‘A Room with a View’ (Best Hotel View, sponsored by Rategain) No. 15 Great Pulteney, Bath - ‘Style Award’ (Best Hotel Interior, sponsored by I Booked on Line) Tewkesbury Park, Gloucestershire - ‘Fido’s Favourite’ (Best Pet Friendly Hotel, sponsored by Room to Reward) Nominations for the Best Loved Awards opened in June 2017 and Best Loved customers were invited to nominate hotels where they had stayed and experienced ‘best in class’ stays. Julian Ebbutt, managing director, Best Loved Hotels said: “Ultimately our business is built on reputation, and so it’s key that we listen to our customers, the hotel guests, to learn of their personal experiences and feedback at all of the hotels in our collection; this is why we choose to base our awards on the customer’s vote. The wide range of awards represents the diversity across our range of properties, including not only the regional and overall winners, but also specific areas of excellence demonstrating that there really is a Best Loved Hotel to suit everyone.”