Award-winning hotels with very good service
Glenapp Castle Hotel
Magnificently restored Scottish Castle, now a five star Relais & Chateaux Hotel, with 36 acres of glorious garden and woodland on the rugged and beautiful Ayrshire coast in Ballantrae, Scotland - also features a three AA rosette dining room.
- Glenapp castle was named Romantic Hotel of the Year at the Scottish Hotel Awards 2011.
- Glenapp Castle was awarded by the Scottish Tourist Board - Five Gold Stars Hotel - and the AA - Five Red Stars Hotel - as at August 2011.
- Awards received by Glenapp Castle include: Most Excellent Country House (2002), Luxury Hotel of the Year (2005), Scotland’s Leading Castle (2004), Hotel of the Year for Scotland and Northern Ireland (AA 2005-2006), Scottish Castle of the Year.
- The restaurant at Glenapp Castle Hotel and its Head Chef Adam Stokes have won Restaurant of the Year at the 2011 CIS Excellence Awards, one Michelin Star 2012 and four AA Rosette (2012 AA Restaurant Guide).
- The Fine Dining Award - The Scottish Hotel Awards 2012
- Glenapp Castle Hotel awards can also be found on their customer service plus page >>
- Customers comments on the service they received whilst staying at Glenapp Castle Hotel can be found here >>
Gidleigh Park
Gidleigh Park, set in Chagford, Devon, is a highly acclaimed Country House Hotel, where guests can enjoy the beautiful Dartmoor countryside and luxurious accomodation combined with a 2 Michelin starred exquisite culinary experience
- Voted Number One in the Sunday Times Top 100 British Restaurants 2011 for Best Restaurant, Best Place to Stay and Best Wine List - Rémy Martin X.O. Excellence Award for Best All Round Restaurant
- Conde Nast Johansens Excellence Award for Most Excellent Restaurant 2011
- Two Michelin Stars 2012 and 5 Red Stars by the AA for 2012
- The Sunday Times Travel Magazine Readers' Award Winner Highly Commended UK Hotel 2008
- Conde Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence shortlisted in Most Excellent Hotel Category 2010
- Winner of Winners, joint Gold with Bovey Castle for "Hotel of the Year" and joint Gold with The Lamb Inn, Sandford for "Taste of Devon" - Devon Tourism Awards - 2011
- Gidleigh Park was voted Small hotel of the year at The South West Tourism Awards 2013.
- Gidleigh Park is the recipient of the Gold Hotel of the Year at the Visit Devon Tourism Awards 2012.
- Gidleigh Park is included in Andrew Harper’s Readers' Choice 2014 for the Top 20 Food and Wine Resorts.
Red Carnation Hotels
A luxury collection of award-winning five and four-star family run boutique hotels located in London, Dorset, Guernsey, Geneva, South Africa, and Palm Beach, Florida
- No. 1 City Hotel in Africa & Middle East and No. 1 Spa Hotel in Africa & Middle East in World’s Best Awards 2009 Travel + Leisure
- Bushmans Kloof has been voted "Best Hotel in the World" in the 2009 US Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards Readers' Survey
- No. 1 Top 10 Small City Hotels in Europe - London's Milestone Hotel - Travel + Leisure’s 2011 World’s Best Awards
- The Milestone, 41, and Chesterfield Mayfair named in Travel + Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World 2012
- Four Red Carnation Hotels Voted 'The World’s Best Places To Stay' in Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List 2012
- The Milestone Hotel was named Best Small Hotel in the UK at the International Hotel Awards 2012
- Hotel 41 was voted No. 9 Top 40 British Isles Hotel in Conde Nast Traveler USA Readers Choice Awards 2011
- Hotel d'Angleterre was named Best Leading Hotel in the World selected by Leaders Club Members 2011
- Red Carnation Hotels Awards can also be found on their customer service plus page >>
- 41 Hotel has been named Hotel of the Year at the 2013 Catey Awards.
- Red Carnation have been named Small Hotel Group of the Year at the AA Hospitality Awards 2013/2014.
- The Milestone Hotel has been recognised for Best Service at the Conde Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence 2013.
- Red Carnation Hotel Collection was included in the top 10 of the The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For 2014 and the highest ranked hotels group.
- Red Carnation Hotels have been named AA Eco Group Hotel of the Year 2014-2015 in The AA Hospitality Awards.
Hand Picked Hotels
The award-winning Hand Picked Hotels collection are luxury country house hotels renowned for exquisite food, fine wines and excellent service in stylish surroundings with locations ranging from the New Forest and Jersey to Yorkshire and Edinburgh
- Hand Picked Hotels was awarded the AA Large Hotel Group of the Year 2012-2013 at the AA Hospitality Awards 2012
- 16 Hand Picked properties have achieved two AA rosette status with Norton House in Edinburgh winning three AA rosettes As at October 2012
- Five hotels have achieved red star status, being recognised as amongst the AA's Top 200 hotels in the UK & Ireland
- Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa - South Cheshire Tourism Award 2010 Winner and Cheshire Life Finalist Hotel of the Year 2009 & 2010
- Norton House was awarded AA Hotel of the Year for Scotland 2008-2009
- Additional Handpicked Hotels awards on their customer service plus page >>
- We have received great feedback about the service provided in Buxted Park Hotel, East Sussex, via Twitter in April 2014 >>
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Created by chef Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir, nestled in the picturesque Oxfordshire village of Great Milton, is renowned as one of Britain's finest gastronomic experiences. It is also one of the country's most intimate and original hotels
- Paul Williams, Sous Chef in pastry - Gold in the decorative exhibit in sugar work; and Nicolas Bouhelier, Senior Chef de Partie in pastry - gold in the decorative exhibit in chocolate work - Hotelympia 2010
- Michelin Guide - Two Stars since 1985; Awarded 3rd place in top UK restaurant - Which Good Food Guide 2010; Condé Nast Traveller, UK 2009 Runner up - Favourite UK Leisure Hotel
- Raymond Blanc - Lifetime Achievement Awards: Which Good Food Guide 2010; AA Hospitality Awards 2009/2010; Tatler Restaurant Awards 2009
- Ranked #6 on the Sunday Times Britain's top 100 restaurants 2010 Food List
- Top marks for food/restaurants and raked #3 in UK Leisure Hotels category - Conde Nast The Readers' Travel Awards 2011
- Hotel of the Year - Group - The Cateys 2011
- Hotel Restaurant of the Year award from Restaurant Magazine 2011
- SRA Environment Award - SRA Awards 2012
- Assia Riccio-Smith, Guest services manager, has won a Caterer and Hotelkeeper's 2012 Acorn Awards
- Adam Willis and Ben Robertson of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons have won the "in service" category at the Royal Academy of Arts’ Annual Awards of Excellence 2013.
- Le Manoir wins Eco Hotel of the Year at the AA Hospitality Awards 2013-2014.
- Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons was voted England's Leading Country House Hotel 2014 in the WTA. Le Manoir was also nominated for the 2014 England's Leading Boutique Hotel
The Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant & Spa
Luxury country house hotel located in close proximity to Bath. With an award winning restaurant and a splendid Garden Spa, The Bath Priory is a perfect location to enjoy a short stay, unwind with relaxing treatments and indulge with exquisite cuisine
- The Bath Priory was named Best Small Hotel - Gold Award - at the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2011/2012 and 2009/2010.
- Best Hotel Garden - Bath in Bloom, Bath City Council 1996, 2004, 2008, 2009
- Best Chef (Sam Moody) and Best Fine Dining Wine List - Bath Good Food Awards 2011
- The Bath Priory was ranked #3 in the South-West in the Top 100 British Restaurants, Sunday Times October 2010.
- The Bath Priory received AA Five Black Stars 2011 and Three Rosettes (for culinary excellence) 2011.
- Gold award, five stars and a breakfast award from Visit England in recognition of the standards of service, accommodation, food and overall hospitality - 2011
- Gold Award in the Restaurant category in the Taste of the West Awards 2011
- The Bath Priory is the Gold winner - Small Hotel of the Year - at the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2012.
- The Bath Priory was awarded the Relais and Chateaux Garden of the Year Award for 2013.
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts
UK operator of hotels and holiday resorts in over 40 locations across the country with plenty of leisure facilities including golf and spa in some of the sites.
- 2007/2008 AA Hotel Group of Year
- Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa crowned Outstanding Large Hotel of the Year - Golf Tourism Scotland (GTS) Gold Standard Awards 2008 & 2009
- Many of the hotels are home to award-winning dining with 39 AA Rosettes across the group's restaurants (nov 09)
- William Salve of MacDonald Linden Hall Golf & Country Club, Northumberland, was highly commended for Outstanding Customer Service at the Visit England Awards 2012
- Eco Hotel Group of the Year - AA Hospitality Awards 2012
- The Macdonald Windsor Hotel has been shortlisted in the 'Large Hotel/ Townhouse of the Year' and 'Outstanding Customer Service' categories in the 2012-13 Tourism South East Beautiful South Awards
- Macdonald Hotels received the AA 2013 Hotel Group of the Year award.
Riu Hotels and Resorts
Offers over 100 hotels located in an unspoiled natural environment with categories ranging from 3-5 stars in Spain, Portugal, the Caribbean, Africa and the eastern Mediterranean
- The Riu Palace Mexico in Playa del Carmen and the Riu Palace Las Americas in Cancun were both recognised for their excellent customer service in The TUI Nordic 2014 awards.
- Winner - Travel Bulletin Award for the Star Hotel Chain of the Year 2009 (voted by British travel agent readers of Travel Bulletin)
- Best Hotel Chain - Travel Weekly 2010 Globe Travel Awards and Best Leisure Hotel Chain - Travel Weekly 2009 Globe Travel Awards
- Several hotels listed in TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice awards - (Top 25 Hotels in Spain - Top 10 Family Hotels in Africa - Top 10 Family Hotels in the Caribbean & Mexico)
- Best All Inclusive Hotel / Resort company - Silver - British Travel Awards 2011
- Best Hotel Chain (worldwide) - Winners GTA 2012
Augill Castle
Castle in Cumbria providing luxury accomodation close to the Lake District (type Augill Castle in AA route planner for exact location)
- Bed and Breakfast / Guest Accommodation of the Year - Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2009
- Finalist - Best UK / Boutique / Individual Hotel - British Travel Awards 2009
- Favourite British Hotel or Inn - Sawday's Reader Awards 2010
- Les Routiers Britain & Ireland - B&B of the Year 2002
- Nominated as Best Castle Hotel in England at the World Travel Awards 2006 and 2007
- Augill Castle has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2013 Cumbria Tourism Awards.
Chewton Glen
Luxury Country House Hotel set in 130 acres of Hampshire countryside on the edge of the New Forest National Park and just a few minutes walk from the sea (type BH23 5QL in AA route planner for exact location)
- Best Small Hotel / Resort under 100 rooms in the World 2009 - The Gallivanter's Guide Awards for Excellence
- Best Hotel for Service in the UK - Conde Nast Traveller 2011 and 2012
- Runner-up - Best Small Hotel/Resort under 100 rooms in the World - Gallivanter's Guide 2011
- Listed in the Top 50 British Spas and in the top 10 of Classic Spa Hotels - The Sunday Times Travel Magazine 2011
- Gold Award for environmental and corporate social responsibility initiatives - Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) 2011
Devonshire Hotels and Restaurants
Independent collection of hotels, inns and restaurants owned by the Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement which includes the Bolton Abbey Estate in Yorkshire and the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire. The choice ranges from a luxury country house hotel
- Small hotel of the Year - Gold Award Winner - Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2008
- Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2011
Good customer service in hotels
The key components of good customer service in hotels may vary from one country to the other but there will be a common core. Here is our take on the key customer service elements:
- Efficient reservation system with the ability to accommodate special needs of customers
- Fair pricing mechanism ensuring that people booking directly through the hotel are not put at a disadvantage
- Professional and welcoming reception ensuring a smooth service at check in and check out
- Attentive service by all employees of the hotel, responding with a positive attitude to demand placed on them by guests
- Excellent knowledge of all services available at the hotel and in its surroundings; good concierge service
- Good customer service in hotels video available on You Tube >>