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UK B&Bs Dominate As TripAdvisor Reveals World’s Best In 12th Annual Travellers’ Choice Awards
London’s Milestone Hotel named UK’s Top Hotel; London, Torquay and St Ives scoop most UK awards

15 of the world’s 25 best B&Bs can be found in the UK, the results of the TripAdvisor 2014 Travellers’ Choice® awards for hotels have revealed.

Now in their 12th year, the awards honour the world’s most outstanding properties in the categories of Top Hotels, Bargain, B&Bs and Inns, Family, Luxury, Romance, and Small Hotels. Travellers’ Choice® award winners were determined based on the reviews and opinions of millions of TripAdvisor travellers around the globe.

Across all of the award categories, it proved a fantastic year for the UK hospitality industry with 26 UK properties securing awards in the world’s best lists, up from 14 in 2013. Globally, only Italy secured a higher overall number of unique hotel award-winners than the UK.

The world’s top two B&Bs are both located in the UK. First place goes to Bindon Bottom B&B, located in West Lulworth, a village in the Purbeck district of Dorset close to the popular bay, Lulworth Cove. The All Seasons Guest House in the seaside resort of Filey, North Yorkshire placed #2 on the world list.

The Chester Residence in Edinburgh and Lauriston Court Hotel in Llandudno also featured within the top three properties in the world in the categories of Luxury and Bargain, respectively.

In the UK awards, the Milestone Hotel in London was named as the country’s Top hotel, surpassing the second place ranking it achieved in 2013. It also ranked #15 in the world among the Top hotels.

While London again scooped the most awards of any UK town or city, it was smaller seaside towns that generally outshone the larger cities – with Torquay, St Ives and Blackpool all landing more awards than anywhere else outside the capital.

The residents of Pontresina in Switzerland have much cause for celebration this year as the city’s Grand Hotel Kronenhof takes the big win and claims the coveted title of world’s Top hotel for 2014 in this year’s awards. 

“For the twelfth year running, these awards recognise the finest hotels across the globe, according to those that really matter - the travellers themselves,” commented James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesperson, “It is great to see that Britain continues to lead the way when it comes to outstanding B&Bs.”

“And, with more than 700,000 hotels in the running this year, what a fantastic achievement for a British hotel to be named third in the world for luxury,” James continued.

UK B&Bs take the lead as the cream of the crop

The B&B is a British institution and the results of this year’s Travellers’ Choice® Awards prove that the UK is unbeatable when it comes to the best B&Bs. The UK is home to six of the top ten in the world including first and second place as well as boasting a further nine in the top 25. Of the Europe winners, the UK takes 20 wins in the whole 25.

Bindon Bottom B&B in West Lulworth, Dorset takes the honour of world’s best B&B. Yorkshire also has cause for celebration with three B&Bs in the world top ten; All Seasons Guest House in Filey took second place, Saxon Villa in Robin Hoods Bay placed fourth while Millgate Bed & Breakfast in Masham ranked in ninth place.

Lisa and Clive Orchard, Owners of Bindon Bottom B&B, West Lulworth:

We’re thrilled to be recognised in the 2014 Travellers’ Choice Awards. Providing our guests with the best possible experience of the World Heritage Jurassic Coast is of the up-most importance to us, and so it’s genuinely heart-warming to be recognised by our guests for the work we do to make their stay special.”

The UK’s top performers

The UK’s number one Top hotel is The Milestone Hotel, located in London’s Kensington, which also celebrates 15thplace in the world and fourth in Europe. 

“Everyone at The Milestone Hotel and Red Carnation Hotels is immensely proud at being named number one Top hotel in the UK in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards,” commented Jonathan Raggett, managing director of Red Carnation Hotels, ”Above all, we attribute our considerable guest loyalty and our continued success on TripAdvisor to our personalised approach to guest service. Our philosophy is ’no request too large, no detail too small‘ which guarantees an individual approach for each and every person that stays with us.”

For the second year running, Edinburgh’s The Chester Residence flies the flag for hotels with less than 30 rooms as it scooped the award for best Small hotel in the UK.

In the Bargain category, Llandudno’s Lauriston Court Hotel is named third in the world, jumping three positions up from its sixth place ranking in 2013. And just across the Irish Sea, at just €45 a night, Castlewood House in Dingle, Ireland is revealed as the world’s number one hotel to bag a bargain.

Devon hotels outperform New York and Rome

Devon is revealed as the UK’s biggest winning county after Greater London, with eleven hotels securing awards across five of the seven categories in this year’s awards – more than New York and Rome combined. 

The county’s victories include the top three best romantic hotels in the UK with The Old Rectory Hotel, Martinhoe, The Elmdene, Torquay and Shelley’s in Lynmouth taking first, second and third place respectively. Chagford’s Gidleigh Park Hotel is named Europe’s third and the UK’s second best Luxury hotel, and in the Small hotels category The Elmdene in Torquay wins again with third in the UK, tenth in Europe and 22nd in the world.

For the complete list of 2014 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice® awards for hotels winners, go tohttp://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice. [please note this link will be live with the 2014 results on Wednesday 22nd January]. 

Travellers can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #travellerschoice.

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Photography and video assets available on request.

For more information please contact Hayley Coleman: 07739 827 951 / hcoleman@tripadvisor.com or James Kay: 07717 481 724 / jkay@tripadvisor.com

Notes to editors

Additional quotes

Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor: “We’re excited to recognize the world’s best properties, based on the opinions of those who know them best – the millions of travellers around the globe who come to TripAdvisor to share their experiences. For those seeking inspiration for their 2014 travel planning, this list of spectacular accommodations that received 2014 Travellers’ Choice awards is a perfect place to start.”

Jonathan Raggett, managing director of Red Carnation Hotels: “The Milestone has consistently featured highly in the TripAdvisor Popularity Index for the last five years, and offers the unique atmosphere of a luxury country house bolt hole in the heart of Kensington.

TripAdvisor is doubtless a key driver of business for us. Travellers want to know what to expect from their hotel stay before they commit, with honest reviews from other consumers being a clear influencer in purchasing decisions. I’m delighted for the team at The Milestone that they have been recognised for their hard work in providing excellent levels of comfort and service to all our guests.”

Lisa and Clive Orchard, Owners of Bindon Bottom B&B, West Lulworth (which ranked #1 in the world’s best B&Bs category): “We’re thrilled to be recognised in the 2014 Travellers’ Choice Awards. Providing our guests with the best possible experience of the World Heritage Jurassic Coast is of the up-most importance to us, and so it’s genuinely heart-warming to be recognised by our guests for the work we do to make their stay special.”

Mark Lambson, General Manager at The Chester Residence, Edinburgh (which ranked #3 in the world’s best Luxury hotels category): “Being recognised by our guests for a second year running is a fantastic achievement for the whole Chester Residence team. Visitors to Edinburgh have a lot of choice and it’s great to see guests returning time and again. What sets us apart is our commitment to delivering unparalleled, personal service, making our guests feel at home in our beautiful and comfortable apartments.”

Carol-Lynn and Ian Robbins, Owners of Lauriston Court, Llandudno (which ranked #3 in the world’s best Bargain hotels category): “We are very honored to be recognised by TripAdvisor as a 2014 Travellers’ Choice Hotels award-winner. We take pride in the knowledge that our guests appreciate everything we are doing and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has stayed with us over the past year for helping us to win this award. Winning this award is a tremendous achievement for us and the rest of the team at Lauriston Court.”

2014 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards for hotels highlights:

Top 10 Hotels in the World

1.    Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina, Switzerland

2.    The Upper House, Hong Kong, China

3.    Gili Lankanfushi Maldives, Lankanfushi, Maldives

4.    Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica

5.    The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India

6.    Casa Gangotena, Quito, Ecuador

7.    Lindos Blu, Lindos, Greece

8.    The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, Punta de Mita, Mexico

9.    The Oberoi, Mumbai, Mumbai (Bombay), India

10. Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto, Toronto, Canada

World’s top 10 B&Bs

1.    Bindon Bottom B&B, West Lulworth, Dorset, United Kingdom

2.    All Seasons Guest House Filey, Filey, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

3.    Historic Oak Hill Inn, Natchez, Mississippi United States

4.    Saxon Villa, Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

5.    Baan Malinee Bed and Breakfast, Thalang District, Thailand

6.    Linnett Hill, Keswick, Cumbria, United Kingdom

7.    Riad Alnadine, Marrakech, Morocco

8.    Dumfries House Lodge, Cumnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

9.    Millgate Bed & Breakfast, Masham, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

10. Arbor Guest House, Napa, California, United States

World’s top 10 hotels for luxury

1.    Akademie Street Boutique Hotel and Guesthouse, Franschhoek, South Africa

2.    The Place Luxury Boutique Villas, Koh Tao, Thailand

3.    The Chester Residence, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

4.    Villa Afrikana Guest Suites, Knysna, South Africa

5.    Riad Kniza, Marrakech, Morocco

6.    The Phoenix Resort, San Pedro, Belize

7.    Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica

8.    La Maison Arabe, Marrakech, Morocco

9.    Gili Lankanfushi Maldives, Lankanfushi, Maldives

10. Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto, Toronto, Canada

World’s top 10 bargain hotels

1.    Castlewood House, Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland

2.    Desert Riviera Hotel, Palm Springs, California, United States

3.    Lauriston Court Hotel, Llandudno, North Wales, United Kingdom

4.    SeaCoast Inn, Hyannis, Massachusetts , United States

5.    Oriental Kwai Resort, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

6.    Jade Hotel, Hue, Vietnam

7.    Asena Motel, Dalyan, Turkey

8.    Gateway Motel Picton Accommodation, Picton, New Zealand

9.    Ilaia Hotel, Punta Arenas, Chile

10. Dar Hafsa, Fes, Morocco

UK’s Top Hotels

1.    The Milestone Hotel, London

2.    Rudding Park, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

3.    Coworth Park, Ascot, Berkshire

4.    Swinton Park, Ripon, Yorkshire

5.    51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences, London

6.    Braye Beach Hotel, Alderney, Guernsey

7.    Longueville Manor, St.Saviour, Jersey

8.    The Soho Hotel, London

9.    Casa Hotel, Chesterfield, Derbyshire

10. The Morley Hayes Hotel, Morley, Yorkshire

UK’s 10 Best B&Bs

1.    Bindon Bottom B&B, West Lulworth, Dorset

2.    All Seasons Guest House Filey, Filey, North Yorkshire

3.    Saxon Villa, Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorkshire

4.    Linnett Hill, Keswick, Cumbria

5.    Dumfries House Lodge, Cumnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland

6.    Millgate Bed & Breakfast, Masham, North Yorkshire

7.    Hawkins of Bath, Bath, Somerset

8.    Bod Gwynedd Bed & Breakfast, Betws-y-Coed, Wales

9.    Plas Dinas Country House, Bontnewydd, Wales

10. Southern Breeze Lodge, Bournemouth, Dorset

UK’s Best Small Hotels

1.    The Chester Residence, Edinburgh, Scotland

2.    Castlecroft, Stirling, Scotland

3.    The Elmdene, Torquay, Devon

4.    Egerton House Hotel, London

5.    Gidleigh Park Hotel, Chagford, Devon

6.    Boskerris Hotel, St Ives, Cornwall

7.    The Clarence Hotel, Portsmouth, Hampshire

8.    Summer Lodge, Evershot, Dorset

9.    Stocks Hotel, Sark, Channel Islands

10. Number Four Boutique Hotel, Portsmouth, Hampshire