Four Bath area hotels have triumphed in one of the sector’s most coveted awards schemes.
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, No.15 by Guesthouse, Bath, and Homewood Hotel were among the winners at The Boutique Hotelier Awards, the annual celebration of resilience and innovation in the UK hotel industry.
More than 16,000 votes were cast by members of the hotel industry in the awards, which are now in its third year, with the winners for each of the 15 categories chosen from a shortlist of finalists.
The five-star Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa landed the title of Boutique Hotel of the Year – an award that celebrates a venue that has demonstrated innovation and resilience over the past 12 months, working to improve facilities, retain and attract valuable staff and grow their businesses.
Investment worth £1.2m has been made in the 45-bedroom Georgian hotel & spa, owned by London-based investment group Topland, during the past year.
This includes the refurbishment of its 11 suites and a number of rooms, a complete refurbishment of its 3AA rosette restaurant Montagu’s Mews, plus the entire front of house and a new outdoor terrace.
General manager Lorraine Jarvie, pictured, centre, receiving the award, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been awarded Boutique Hotel of the Year in this competitive category.
“With a significant investment from Topland Group and with our combined vision, the confidence in our future growth remains, ensuring our guests continue to enjoy our unique five-star experience.
“With a dedicated team that strives for world-class guest practices, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa continues to set standards in five-star hospitality in the South West.”
The Wellbeing Champion award went to Jessica Grant Sloyan, director of spa and wellness at Lucknam Park, the five-star privately owned 42-bedroom hotel that sits on a 500-acre estate at Colerne.
Jessica, pictured with her award, has spent around 20 years in the spa and wellness industry, starting at the Bath Priory Hotel as a personal trainer and spa therapist before working her way up to head therapist and then spa manager.
She then managed the spas at the Bath Priory, Royal Crescent, Gainsborough Bath Spa, where she was the opening manager, and Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa near Malmesbury.
She also spent time working in Bali and all over Malaysia as a multi-site guest spa manager, where she was exposed to ancient healing techniques and traditional Eastern medicine.
The award for Best Boutique Hotel Bar went to The Bar at No.15 by Guesthouse, the 37-bedroom boutique townhouse hotel on Great Pulteney Street.
The distinction rewards a hotel that has made its in-house bar a destination for both guests and non-residents, providing creative cocktails or thoughtfully-paired bar snacks.
The bar styles itself as having the best British spirits, liqueurs, shrubs, syrups, brews and bitters and mixes cocktails that are “old and new, quintessential and unexpected”.
It also has what it calls a “serious selection of beers, wines, and soft drinks that showcase the flavours and influences of our country’s highlands, lowlands and all its in-between lands”.
Ed Fitzpatrick of Homewood, the 21-room luxury hotel in Freshford, topped the General Manager of the Year category.
The accolade recognises a hotel head honcho who “constantly inspires, motivates and encourages their team, while also remaining focused on the development and commercial success of the business”.
Ed joined Homewood, part of the Bath boutique hotel group the Kaleidoscope Collection group, in early 2020 from the renown Lygon Arms in Broadway in the Cotswolds.
The annual Boutique Hotelier Awards, held on the first night of the Independent Hotel Show’s London edition, brought together around 300 hoteliers and hospitality suppliers at The Chelsea Harbour Hotel in London to celebrate innovation and excellence in the industry.
Eamonn Crowe, editor of Boutique Hotelier, which stages the awards, said they had grown exponentially since being launched three years ago.
“They are always a celebration of innovative ideas and best practice in the UK’s boutique hotel industry,” he added.
“Hoteliers continue to face tough challenges, but we wanted [the awards] to be a celebration of those teams and individuals that have responded to these challenges with vigour and pragmatism, continuing to inspire both their hotel guests and fellow staff.”
Kathryn Davis, managing director of Visit West, the destination marketing organisation behind the Visit Bath brand, added: “This is an incredible result for the hotel sector in Bath and the surrounds.
“This demonstrates the quality of the experience for visitors, and the expertise in the local industry, providing inspiration for the next generation of hoteliers.”
