LONDON, U.K – 19 January, 2011, TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site*, today unveiled the very best of British hotels in its ninth annual Travellers’ Choice® Hotel awards, often dubbed the ‘Oscars of the hotel world’.
The awards recognise the best hotels around the world across categories including best budget, best luxury, best B&B and best service. Unlike any other hotel awards, TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards are based on the experiences of millions of travellers from around the world.
Despite good news for Britain’s B&B industry, with the UK all but dominating this global category, the same cannot be said for those hoping for a value break – not a single UK property features in this year’s European Top 10 ‘Bargain Hotels’ category, despite a favourable exchange for most travellers coming to Britain this year.
“These awards celebrate the stars of the British hotel industry,” comments Emma O’Boyle, TripAdvisor spokesperson. “Devon has performed extraordinarily this year, as have B&Bs across the entire country, but there is still work to be done to convince tourists that British hotels offer good value for money.”
Best of British
For the second consecutive year, Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire has been awarded the coveted accolade of Britain’s Best Hotel. Lauded for its “impeccable service” and “wonderful setting” by TripAdvisor travellers, one reviewer even describes it as “practically perfect in every way”.
Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park comments on his 2011 Travellers Choice Hotel award, “We are thrilled to receive the TripAdvisor Award for Best Hotel in the UK for the second year running, proving that an independent Yorkshire hotel can match and beat the most famous names in British Hospitality”.
The second best hotel in Britain this year is The Old Rectory in Exmoor, Devon and third place goes to Boskerris Hotel in St. Ives, Cornwall.
Star Service
The Boskerris has double cause for celebration after also scooping eighth place in the ‘Best Service’ in Europe category. Also victorious in this category is Abbott’s Brae Hotel in Dunoon, Scotland which was named seventh best hotel for service by TripAdvisor travellers.
Budget Blow for British Hotels
As VAT rises and the budget cuts take hold, budget-conscious travellers will be disappointed to hear that not a single British hotel made it into this year’s European ‘Bargain Hotels’ list, which was highly populated with Eastern European hotels.
“The recent TripAdvisor 2011 Travel Trends research revealed that fewer Brits are planning to take a domestic holiday this year, a trend which could be attributed to the perceived lack of high-quality, low-price accommodation in the UK made clear through the Traveller’s Choice Awards,” continued TripAdvisor’s Emma O’Boyle.
South West Joy
The South West is another clear winner in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Hotel awards, claiming five of the top 10 UK hotels. Devon in particular should be very proud, with seven of Britain’s 25 best hotels located in the county.
World-Class British B&Bs
The good old Bed & Breakfast is a UK institution so it’s fantastic news that Britain’s B&Bs are officially the best in the world,with six British properties ranking among the world’s top ten. Scotland’s The Old Manse in Invermoriston has been crowned number one in the world, while Saltcote Place in Rye, East Sussex; Riverside Hotel in the Lake District; Number One B&B in Deal, Kent; and The Twenty One in Brighton all contribute to the UK’s near domination in this global category.
London Left behind
While parts of the country, particularly Devon, excel in this year’s awards, the UK’s capital is not shining as brightly. With the 2012 Olympics on the horizon, the world’s eyes will soon be on London – a city conspicuous in its absence from the UK’s top 25 hotels.
This is the second consecutive year in which the capital failed to produce finalists in the top 25 UK hotels list. With only 18 months to go, it’s likely London’s hospitality industry will be working hard to make sure London performs as a world-class tourism destination next year.
Cool Britannia
The UK’s reputation as a trend-setter is reinforced in this year’s awards - with two of Europe’s Trendiest Hotels in the UK. Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh took an impressive second place, while Myhotel in Brighton came in fourth.
For the complete 2011 Traveller’s Choice list and for more reviews, opinions and candid holiday photographs, go tohttp://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravelersChoice(please note this link will not display 2011 winners until Wednesday)
-Ends-
For further information, images or media interviews, please contact:
Laurel Greatrix, TripAdvisor - 0777 801 3639 / lgreatrix@tripadvisor.com
NOTES TO EDITORS:
AWARDS SELECTION
The TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award winners for 2011 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. 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.
2011 TRIPADVISOR TRAVELLERS’ CHOICE AWARDS HIGHLIGHTS :
For the full results, please see link
TOP 25 UK HOTELS (as voted by European travellers)
Figure in brackets denotes 2010 ranking
1. Rudding Park Hotel, Harrogate, Yorkshire (1)
2. The Old Rectory Hotel, Exmoor National Park, Devon (11)
3. Boskerris Hotel, St. Ives, Cornwall (3)
4. Charterhouse Hotel, Torquay, Devon (5)
5. Abbot’s Brae Hotel, Dunoon, Scotland
6. Overwater Hall, Lake District, Cumbria
7. Elmdene Hotel, Torquay, Devon
8. Can-y-Bae, Llandudno, North Wales (4)
9. Haytor Hotel, Torquay, Devon
10. Apsley House Hotel, Bath, Somerset (12)
11. The Seawood Hotel, Exmoor National Park, Devon
12. Yeoldon House Hotel, Bideford, Devon (16)
13. Kingsley Lodge, Peak District, Derbyshire
14. Dunkery Beacon Hotel, Exmoor National Park, Devon (9)
15. The Clarence Hotel, Portsmouth, Hampshire (14)
16. The Clontarf Hotel, Llandudno, Wales
17. Tara Lodge, Belfast, Northern Ireland
18. Hillside, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
19. Avalon Beach Hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset (8)
20. Broad House Hotel, Wroxham, Norwich
21. The Plough Inn, Llandeilo, Wales
22. Hotel Una, Brighton, East Sussex (18)
23. Swinside Lodge Hotel, Keswick, Cumbria
24. Green Bough Hotel, Chester, Cheshire
25. Tremarne Hotel, Mevagissey, Cornwall (15)
BEST B&Bs IN THE WORLD(as voted by the world)
1. The Old Manse, (Invermoriston, Scotland)
2. Casa Portagioia, (Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy)
3. Saltcote Place (Rye, East Sussex, England)
4. Riverside Hotel (Ambleside, Cumbria, England)
5. Number One B&B (Deal, Kent, England)
6. The Twenty One (Brighton, East Sussex, England)
7. Sedona Views Bed and Breakfast (Sedona, USA)
8. Creston Villa Guest House (Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England)
9. Wildwood Manor Bed and Breakfast (San Juan Island, USA)
10. Saubhag Bed and Breakfast (New Delhi, India)
BEST SERVICE IN EUROPE(as voted by the world)
Figure in brackets denotes ranking in Top 10
Abbot’s Brae Hotel, Dunoon , Scotland (7)
Boskerris Hotel, St. Ives, Cornwall, England (8)
TRENDIEST HOTELS IN EUROPE (as voted by the world)
Figure in brackets denotes ranking in Top 10
Hotel Missoni, Edinburgh, Scotland (2)
MyHotel, Brighton, East Sussex, England (4)
