June 4, 2008

AA B&B Awards

The winners of the AA B&B Awards 2008-2009 will be revelealed at the Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park in London this evening. Shortlisted for the award of London B&B of the Year are The New Linden in Notting Hill, San Domenico House in Chelsea and The St. George in Langham Place. There is also a category for the funkiest B&B which has been shortlisted to Bangors Organic in Bude, Enchanted Manor on the Isle of Wight, and Moss Grove Organic in Grasmere.  The AA Centenary Awards, attended by the cream of the hospitality world, will be held at Grosvenor House, London, on 2nd September 2008.

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  • April 24, 2008

    Enjoy England for Excellence 2008

    Chewton GlenIn case it passed you by, yesterday was St. George’s Day. And I’m sure it was no co-incidence that the presentation of the Enjoy England for Excellence 2008 awards was celebrated on the same day. For the first time, the event was held outside London, with the organisers preferring to opt for the European Capital of Culture, Liverpool. Fittingly, it was held at St. George’s Hall. Here’s a round-up of the winners:

    Gold Awards

    Large Hotel of the Year
    Chewton Glen Hotel, Hampshire

    Self-Catering Holiday of the Year
    Mill Granary Cottage, Lower Teesdale
    Stone Cottage, Lake District

    Tourism Website of the Year
    Philharmonic Hall, London

    Small Hotel of the Year
    Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel, Yorkshire Dales

    Meet England Business Tourism Award
    Emirates Stadium, London

    Caravan Holiday Park of the Year
    Poston Mill Park, Herefordshire

    Bed & Breakfast / Guest Accommodation of the Year
    Salty Monk Restaurant with Rooms, Devon

    Sustainable Tourism Award
    Cottage Lodge, New Forest
    Strattons Hotel, Norfolk

    Taste of England Award
    Fifteen Cornwall

    Tourism Information Centre of the Year
    Liverpool 08 Place

    Best Tourism Experience of the Year
    Sunderland International Airshow

    Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
    Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Buckinhamshire

    Outstanding Customer Service Award
    David Pollard of Falmouth Ambassador Ltd.

    Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
    Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire
    Victoria and Albert Museum, London

    Consumer Voted Award - Best Day Out
    Whitby, North Yorkshire

    Silver Awards

    Large Hotel of the Year
    Radisson Edwardian Manchester
    The Dorchester, London

    Self-Catering Holiday of the Year
    Compton Pool Farm, Devon

    Tourism Website of the Year
    Pennywell Farm, Devon

    Small Hotel of the Year
    Combe House Hotel, Somerset
    Hillbark Hotel, Wirral

    Meet England Business Tourism Award
    Manchester Central
    Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire

    Caravan Holiday Park of the Year
    Seafield Caravan Park, Northumberland
    Sunset Park, Near Blackpool

    Bed & Breakfast / Guest Accommodation of the Year
    Boltongate Old Rectory, Lake District
    The Old Manse, Northumberland
    Clow Beck House, County Durham

    Sustainable Tourism Award
    Fern Cottage Bed and Breakfast, Gloucestershire

    Taste of England Award
    The Old Bakery, Lincoln

    Tourism Information Centre of the Year
    Nottingham Tourism Centre
    Brighton Visitor Centre

    Best Tourism Experience of the Year
    Ludlow Marches Food and Drink Festival
    Castle Howard, York

    Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
    Rockingham Castle, Leicestershire
    Forde Abbey and Gardens, Somerset

    Outstanding Customer Service Award
    Mick Logg of Xscape, West Yorkshire
    The Executive Team at the London Marriott West India Quay

    Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
    Tullie House Museum, Carlisle

    Richard Hammond (I assume the one of Top Gear fame?) has a piece in today’s Guardian newspaper on the winners of the sustainability awards.

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  • February 19, 2008

    What have you encountered on your luxury travels that you later purchased?

    Linari AvorioHave you ever stayed somewhere, experienced something (however big or small), and thought to yourself “I must have one!”?  Whether it be a mattress or some bedding, a bathrobe or some soap, or something else, we want to hear your recommendations! Recently I purchased a room fragrance from Linari, which I first became aware of on a stay at the fabulous Haagsche Suites.  Please tell us what you’ve bought by posting a comment below.

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  • November 25, 2007

    Jules Undersea Lodge, Key Largo, Forida Keys

    Jules Undersea LodgeI’ve mentioned underwater hotels on A Luxury Travel Blog before, but I think - until now - Jules Undersea Lodge has escaped the radar. It’s an underwater research base which has opened itself to the public. Featured in ‘Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous’, a stay here will set you back $475 per person per night, including gourmet dinner and breakfast.  What’s rather unique about the property is that you have to scuba dive to get there!

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  • October 11, 2007

    Some people just don’t ‘get’ the internet!

    Argh!I recently read a newspaper article about The New White Lion at Llandovery in Wales and thought I would check them out with a view to a short stay with my family later this month.  The first thing that strikes me is that there’s an air of quality about the site, a nice choice of colours and font… but then I find myself waiting… and waiting… I’m sitting in front of a Flash intro and there’s no means to skip it.  That’s more than half a minute of my time wasted every time I choose to visit the site - that’s not right, I think to myself.  Anyway… moving on… I decide to click on the Rooms page.  It tells me that there’s a family room… great.  But hang on… which one of the six rooms is the family room - it doesn’t say! I click on the ‘door’ to each room, but all I get is a single picture (often a close-up of something like a lamp in the room) and no text.  That doesn’t help me.  OK, so how much does this place cost anyhow…?  Oh, no… there’s no tariff anywhere to be found.  I email them and say that the site looks beautiful but politely point out that it’s very poor from a usability point of view, and could they please tell me which room is the family room and what the rates are.  I get a fairly prompt reply saying that I can call them on the telephone to discuss if I wish.  I would have sooner just been told the information I was after, but I ‘phone anyway.  And guess what… I get an answering machine!  I left my details so they could call back but that was now over 4 hours ago…

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  • August 5, 2007

    Luxury travel links of the week

    Luxury linksA weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

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  • May 6, 2007

    Luxury travel links of the week

    Luxury linksA weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

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  • April 19, 2007

    Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2007

    SS Great BritainI’m pleased to learn that a vessel that I did voluntary work on back in my school days has received the award for the UK’s best large tourist attraction.  Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s SS Great Britain in Bristol picked up the accolade at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence. The full list of Gold Award winners from the event are as follows:

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  • March 26, 2007

    Hidden Meadow Ranch receiving increased media attention

    Category: Accommodation, Arizona, Bed & Breakfasts, North America, Regions, Resorts, USA — Paul Johnson @ 11:23 pm

    Hidden Meadow RanchArizona’s luxury guest ranch, Hidden Meadow Ranch, was ranked the #3 romantic getaway in the United States by Sunset Magazine last month, garnering national recognition for its incredible beauty, cuisine and accommodations. In addition, it was also recently featured in the New York Times; it’s perhaps no surprise that it’s receiving national attention as this mountain getaway is in a hidden oasis dotted with 50 reflective mountain lakes, 500 miles of cool streams, dense conifer forests, clear blue skies and a temperate climate.

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  • March 13, 2007

    Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott open B&B

    Chateau La RueTori Spelling and Dean McDermott have opened Chateau La Rue, a bed and breakfast about 45 minutes north of San Diego, in Fallbrook, CA.  The accommodation consists of just four bedrooms in an 8-acre retreat. If opening the property to the public wasn’t enough, they’ve also just had a baby boy and are about to start filming a reality TV programme for an Oxygen network show.

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  • March 1, 2007

    Interview with Guido van den Elshout of Haagsche Suites

    Guido van den ElshoutA former tax lawyer, Guido van den Elshout is owner of the luxurious Haagsche Suites (click here for last year’s special feature on A Luxury Travel Blog) in The Hague.  He is also a contributor to two travel blogs.

    What is it that you do exactly?

    I’m a 58 years young sort of Jack of all Trades:

    1) I started my working life as an international tax lawyer and practiced as such for over 25 years and traveled extensively; in 1996 my Dad asked me to take the rudder of the family company here in the Hague and consequently I moved after living more than 25 years elsewhere to The Hague where I was born and raised. I moved into a town house that is located back to back with the company’s office: hurray, no more commuting! The company is engaged in renting out residential property, mainly apartments, the majority of which the company has built itself in a time span of over 110 years. I am the proud 4th generation of the company. The tenant record is a person who lived in one of our apartments for over 75 years! Under my reign the company renovated many properties. While working for the company i phased out and finally terminated my tax practice.

    2) In 2000, we were able to buy a townhouse next to our home and extensively renovated it into something new, something between a luxurious B&B and the suite floor of a luxurious hotel, or a hotel without cheap rooms. We called it Haagsche Suites (ie. Suites of The Hague). My wife, a friend of hers and I have operated Haagsche Suites next to the family business since the fall of 2002.
     
    3) A friend of mine had set up a website dedicated to listing and independently reviewing B&Bs and the smaller independent hotels in the Netherlands and Belgium. Upon his request I participate in the Dutch language blog forming part of the site. After suggesting to him to enhance the international reach of his site we decided in good harmony that I would start up an English language blog of my own. That became Happy Hotelier.
     
    Summarizing:  I am the doorman, bellman, concierge, front desk agent, technology engineer, limo driver, valet parking attendant, city guide, Sargent at Arms and photographer at wedding ceremonies, cleaning boy, gardener, pond- and central heating technician, personal assistant, butler, waiter, web administrator of our websites,  cook, designer, developer and owner of a small and very luxurious hotel, and I blog from time to time about what interests me or what is useful.

    What do you enjoy most about what you do?

    Seeing our guests (including your good self) frequently being genuinely and pleasantly surprised when we surpass their expectations.

    What would you say are the 3 best places you’ve ever stayed?

    A difficult question to answer. I am inclined to shameless self promotion, but I’ll give you some of my best experiences.

    Recently we stayed in the Radisson SAS Style Hotel, Vienna. Apart from some glitches, the service is excellent, the location is excellent for a Viennese shopping tour in the very center of Vienna and directly opposite one of the best old fashioned coffee houses of Vienna (Central). This is really a stylish and very well appointed hotel that has avoided the usual pitfalls of the average design or boutique hotel: its rooms are spacey, it has a very good feel despite the design, it has some very clever design details, it has free WiFi, and above all: location, location and… location.

    In summer we usually stay at the Babenberger Hof in Mödling outside of Vienna, Austria. Mödling was the seat of the Babenbergers long before the Habsburgers took the reigns of Austria. It is a small old town about 20 km south west from Vienna. It is in the wine area. In the relatively warm summers the temperature is always a bit lower than the temperature in Vienna itself. The rooms in