Lancashire Hotel Named England’s Hotel Of The Year

Northcote Hotel located in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire named national Hotel of the Year at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence on 24 April 2017.

The prestigious awards, now in their 28th year, celebrate those businesses and individuals who continuously raise the bar of England’s tourism offer.  The 25 award winners, from Afternoon Tea of the Year to Sustainable Tourism Award, Tourism Pub of the Year to Business Tourism Award, span the length and breadth of the country.

The awards ceremony, hosted by Sue Perkins, took place at the Hilton Waldorf in London and welcomed 67 finalists selected from almost 600 applications, the highest number ever received.

Northcote won Hotel of the Year at the Lancashire Tourism Awards, which were held at Blackburn Cathedral, the Cathedral of Lancashire on Thursday 10 November 2016. These awards celebrate the very best of Lancashire's visitor economy businesses and most of the winners then have the chance to go forward to the national Visit England Awards for Excellence.

The Tourism Superstar 2017 competition, run jointly with the Daily Mirror, was won by Duane, owner of the Grosvenor Fish Bar in Norwich, Nigel Thompson, the Daily Mirror’s Travel Editor presented the accolade. Lancashire's very own Tourism Superstar Leye D Johns was awarded third place in the national Tourism Superstar 2017 competition.

Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire said, “We’re very proud to have Northcote, our winner of the 2016 Lancashire Tourism Awards Best Hotel, now being recognised as England’s Best Hotel by the national tourist agency, VisitEngland. Northcote has continued to invest and develop as a business and always strives for perfection. Northcote has nurtured an incredible team and continued to build on an already enviable reputation for excellence, which is being rewarded with an array of awards acknowledging their status as the country’s best in class – which they truly deserve. Our congratulations to the whole team on this tremendous achievement for Northcote and for Lancashire.”

Craig Bancroft, Managing Director of Northcote Leisure Group commented on their win, “We are absolutely delighted to win the Hotel of the Year award at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2017. Having already been won our regional award with Marketing Lancashire, you always hope that you may be lucky enough to reach the nationals. To come away with this award is yet again testament to the dedication and commitment from all our staff to ensure that our guests leave having had a fabulous Lancashire experience. Northcote’s aim is always to be an oasis of food and wine excellence with outstanding and genuine hospitality. Winning this award endorses the spirit of that goal.”

VisitEngland Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said, “This year’s awards were fiercely contested and we had some terrific applications, showcasing not only the excellence on offer within English tourism but also the outstanding innovation and the sheer diversity of experiences throughout the country.

From afternoon tea in a railway carriage to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ boutique hotel rooms, from great family friendly animal attractions to cottages for one, all well deserved the recognition of their quality and service.”

The tourism economy is worth £106 billion annually to England.

Below are the winners in each category for this year’s awards:

VE Awards for Excellence winners
 

• Hotel of the Year:  Northcote, Lancashire
• Glamping Provider of the Year: The Dandelion Hideaway, East Midlands 
• Self-Catering Property of the Year: Cottage in the Dales – The Byre, Yorkshire
• Sustainable Tourism Award: Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant, North East 
• Guided Tour of the Year: Shiverpool, North West shiverpool.co.uk
• Afternoon Tea of the Year: Countess of York, Yorkshire 
• Business Tourism Award: Warwick Conferences, West Midlands 
• Family Friendly Accommodation of the Year award – sponsored by Family Traveller: Bosinver Farm Cottages, South West
• Family Friendly Food & Drink Business of the Year – sponsored by Family Traveller: Chester Zoo, 
• Family Friendly Attraction of the Year – sponsored by Family Traveller: Thames Rockets, London 
• Bed & Breakfast of the Year Award: St Cuthbert’s House, North East
• Tourism Superstar: Duane Dibartolomeo, Owner, Grosvenor Fish Bar, Norwich
• Boutique/Guest Accommodation of the Year award: Glazebrook House Hotel, South West 
• Visitor Information Provider of the Year:Gloucester Tourist Information Centre, South West
• GREAT China Welcome of the Year – sponsored by Ping Pong Digital and Destination Britain: Blenheim Palace, South East 
• Tourism Pub of the Year: The Anchor Inn, South West
• Small Visitor Attraction of the Year: Monkey Haven, South East
• Dog Friendly Business of the Year: Letheringham Water Mill Holiday Cottages, East of England
• Taste of England Award: The Art School, North West
• Holiday Park/Holiday Village of the Year: Trethem Mill Touring Park, South West
• Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year: Blakelow Farm Holiday Cottages, East Midlands
• Inclusive Tourism Award – sponsored by Barclays: Eden Project, South West
• Large Visitor Attraction of the Year: Waddesdon Manor, South East
• The Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award: The Premier League 
• Services to Tourism Award: Viscountess, Penelope Cobham CBE

For Media enquiries please contact:

• Anna Izza, Head of PR and Communications TEL 01772 426 459
  [email protected]
• Laura Roberts, PR and Communications Executive TEL 01772 426 456 [email protected]

Please contact the finalists for individual comment on their success.  

• Northcote, Ribble Valley – Kaye Mattew, Sales and Marketing Director – TEL 01254 240555