LONDON, U.K. – 27 January, 2009: TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel community, today unveiled the best of British hotels in the seventh annual TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice® awards. Placing a particular emphasis on value, Blackpool was declared one of the world’s hotspots for bargain accommodation, whilst a hotel in Llandudno was awarded the title of the U.K.’s Best Bargain. TripAdvisor also revealed today the nation’s dirtiest dives.

Unlike any other hotel programs, the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards are based on the millions of candid reviews and opinions about hotels on the TripAdvisor site and content from across the web. 

Best of British: U.K. Bargains 

Britain’s seaside resorts are set to make a comeback in 2009 with budget-conscious travellers, reveals TripAdvisor. A total of 11 beachfront hotels in the U.K. were awarded in the Top 100 Bargain Hotels in the World category (full U.K. list below), with rates ranging from £22 to £90 per night – and Blackpool is officially the U.K.’s top bargain destination.

Five hotels in the Lancashire resort renowned for its illuminations feature on the Top 100 World Bargain list, in addition to three in Bournemouth, one in Scarborough and two in Llandudno, North Wales.

Llandudno’s Can-y-Bae –“Song of the Bay” – was named the U.K.’s Best Bargain hotel, with TripAdvisor traveller reviews referring to “spotlessly clean and warm accommodation”, “extremely welcoming owners” and “superb food”. 

Can-y-Bae was also the only British hotel to claim awards in two further categories, ranking sixth in the Best Service in Europe category and eighth in the Hidden Gems in Europe category.

Luke Fredberg, TripAdvisor spokesman, said: “When it comes to finding a true bargain, Britain’s seaside towns have far more to offer the discerning traveller than great fish and chips. You may not be guaranteed good weather, but you will get good value.” 

The Bold and the Beautiful: U.K. B&Bs

In these budget-conscious times, B&Bs offer great value – and Britain’s are officially amongst the best in the world, accounting for seven of the ten best B&Bs in Europe. However, Scotland outstrips England’s performance, with five local B&Bs making the top ten, compared to just two in England.

Surprisingly, a London establishment takes the accolade of Best B&B in Europe – dispelling the myth that a rural setting is a must-have. Whilst the Bay Tree House in the London Borough of Enfield may be situated closer to Arnos Grove underground station than rolling countryside, reviews on TripAdvisor describe the B&B as “a home away from home” and commend it for offering reasonably priced accommodation in the Capital.

Fredberg adds, “Nobody does B&Bs like the British – and whilst ones in more rural settings have an unrivalled charm, urban B&Bs are set for success in 2009 as travellers visiting cities seek great value.”

Tantalizing Treats: U.K.’s Luxury Hotels 

Whilst budget options are front of mind for many, British hotels also cater for the more affluent traveller. Five hotels in the U.K. were awarded in the Top 100 Luxury Hotels in the World category – with London’s Hotel 41 the highest ranking (number 23).

Beyond the Capital, Harrogate’s Rudding Park Hotel also made the list (27), together with Hunters Quay Hotel in Dunoon (30), Lucknam Park in Chippenham (58) and The Atlantic Hotel in Jersey (100).

For the complete 2009 Travellers’ Choice list, go to http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/travellerschoice

Faulty Towers: U.K.’s Dirtiest Hotels 

In addition to unveiling the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice® winners, TripAdvisor also revealed the U.K.’s ten dirtiest hotels for the third year in a row, based on traveller ratings for cleanliness. Seven properties in London make their mark on the roll of grime, together with one a-piece in Oxford, Brighton and Manchester (full U.K. list below).

The Cromwell Crown Hotel in London ranks in poll position, as the jewel in the nation’s dirty crown. “Hell on earth is a compliment”, writes one TripAdvisor reviewer, whilst others refer to “rat droppings on the bed”, a bedroom which “stank of vomit and smoke” and “coffee that tasted of salami.”

Despite being named and shamed in last year’s dirtiest list, three repeat offenders failed to clean up their act. Nanford Guest House in Oxford, which claimed the top spot last year and second place in 2007, ranks at number three – whilst London’s Eden Plaza Hotel moves up from ninth to fifth place and the Park Hotel, also in the Capital, moves down from sixth to tenth place. 

Luke Fredberg, TripAdvisor spokesman, says: “The biggest and best dirtiest list is back, with TripAdvisor discovering that some hotels take the concept of offering dirt cheap rooms all too literally. Guests should be entitled to decent standards of hygiene, whatever rate they’re paying – and we urge any properties failing on this count to clean up their act by 2012, so British hotels can prove they’re equally as medal-worthy as our athletes.”

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For further information, images or interviews, please contact:
Amelie Hurst, TripAdvisor
020 3320 3244 / 07791 605 888
ahurst@tripadvisor.com 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

To find out more about award winning hotels in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2009, visit www.tripadvisor.co.uk/travellerschoice, and for more reviews, opinions and candid holiday photographs.

U.K. HIGHLIGHTS – 

BEST BARGAIN HOTELS IN U.K. (figure in brackets denotes ranking in Best World Bargains)
1.    Can-y-bae, Llandudno, Wales (6)          average £38pppn 
2.    Kenley Hotel, Blackpool, England (11)         average £22pppn
3.    The Croydon, Blackpool, England (22)         average £25pppn 
4.    Hen-Dy Hotel, Llandudno, Wales (28)          average £36pppn 
5.    Blue Palms Hotel, Bournemouth (35)          average £35pppn 
6.    The Claremont Hotel, Bournemouth (38)      average £35pppn 
7.    Collingwood Hotel Holmfield, Blackpool (65)      average £27pppn 
8.    Avalon Beach Hotel, Bournemouth (74)          average £90/night 
9.    Selomar Hotel, Scarborough (79)          average £26pppn 
10.    The Ramsay Hotel, Blackpool (80)          average £30pppn 

Hotel Rossi, Blackpool also made the Top 100 World Bargains list, ranked #87 
Best Bargain in the World Winner – Hotel Vecchio Asilo, San Gimignano, Italy     

BEST B&Bs IN EUROPE (figure in brackets denotes ranking in Top Ten list)
Bay Tree House and Annex, London (1)              
Avalon Guest House, Inverness, Scotland (3)         
Pottery House, Dores, Scotland (5)             
Craigatin House & Courtyard, Pitlochry, Scotland (6)     
Chestnuts House, Bath (7)                 
Elmview, Edinburgh (8)                     
Ewich House, Crianlarich, Scotland (9)

            
BEST SERVICE IN EUROPE (figure in brackets denotes ranking in Top Ten list)
Can-y-bae, Llandudno, Wales (6)                    
Best Service in Europe Winner – Anastasis Apartments, Imerovigli, Greece

BEST LUXURY HOTELS IN THE WORLD (figure in brackets denotes ranking in Top 100 list)
Hotel 41, London (23)                              
Rudding Park Hotel, Harrogate (27)             
Hunters Quay Hotel, Dunoon, Scotland (30)         
Lucknam Park, Chippenham (58)             
The Atlantic Hotel, St Brelade, Jersey (100)         
Best Luxury Hotel in the World Winner – Aria Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic 

DIRTIEST HOTELS IN THE U.K.
1.    Cromwell Crown – London, SW7 4DX        
2.    Corbigoe Hotel – London, SW1V 2BH        
3.    Nanford Guest House – Oxford             
4.    Cosmopolitan Hotel – Brighton             
5.    Eden Plaza Hotel – London, SW7 5JT        
6.     Hanover Hotel – London, SW1V 4BN        
7.    Rose Court Hotel – London, W2 1TR        
8.    Imperial Hotel – Manchester             
9.    Gresham Hotel – London, WC1B 3QJ
10.    Park Hotel – London, SW1V 2BP    


AWARDS SELECTION
The TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award winners for 2009 were determined by a combination of TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index and traveller ratings of specific property attributes.  TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index is a proprietary algorithm that determines traveller satisfaction based on a variety of sources, including TripAdvisor hotel reviews and travel articles and opinions from across the web. The hotel review process on TripAdvisor also allows travellers to “grade” hotels based on a variety of attributes, including cleanliness, value and suitability for specific types of travellers.