Some of Bath’s top hotels, restaurants and hospitality businesses will battle it out next month in the region’s most prestigious tourism awards scheme.
The Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards, now in their sixth year, will reward excellence and resilience in what has been another difficult year for the sector.
Bath area businesses dominate a number of categories in the awards, which take place on February 17.
Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa in Colerne and The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa go head to head as the two finalists in the Large Hotel of the Year category while The Small Visitor Attraction of the Year is also an all-Bath affair with 1 Royal Crescent and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy – both run by Bath Preservation Trust – vying for the title.
The 42-bedroom luxury hotel Lucknam Park and Spa, pictured below, and No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath, the 37-bedroom boutique townhouse hotel on Great Pulteney Street, are the two contenders for the Spa & Wellbeing Experience of the Year Award, making it another Bath-only category.
Meanwhile the two contenders for the Experience of the Year (Active or Learning) Award are both from Bath - Bath Insider Tours, which provides private tours with a local guide, and Mad Max Tours, which runs small-group visits to Stonehenge, Avebury and Cotswold villages.
Other Bath finalists include The Scallop Shell fish and seafood restaurant on Monmouth Place in the Casual Dining category while The Olive Tree Restaurant on Russel Street and The Restaurant at No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath, are in the running for the Restaurant of the Year award.
Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa will be looking to make it a hat-trick when it lines up in the Dog Friendly Business of the Year category with Bath’s Homewood Hotel & Spa, which was recently named as one of the world’s best venues for dog lovers by dog-friendly holiday company PetsPyjamas.
No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath, could also land three awards if it is successful in the Small Hotel of the Year category, in which 31-bedroom Homewood has been commended.
Bath’s recently opened 166-bedroom boutique Hotel Indigo on South Parade, pictured below, is aiming to land the New Tourism Business title.
Kathryn Davis, director of tourism at Visit West – the regional destination marketing organisation that runs Visit Bath – said she was thrilled to see so many Visit West members featured.
“In what has been another exceptionally difficult year for the industry, the quality of the experience in the region has only increased and our business community should be applauded for their resilience and innovation,” she added.
“We’re looking forward to the finals next month to discover who will be representing the area in the wider South West Awards.”
Awards organiser Nell Barrington added: “After what has been once again a truly challenging year for tourism and hospitality it is great to be able to share good news and I look forward to celebrating with all the finalists. Huge congratulations to them all.”
Other categories champion accessible and inclusive tourism, ethical, responsible and sustainable tourism, and resilience and innovation.
Award sponsors include cider firm Thatchers, consultancy Quality in Tourism and Bristol Airport.
