Devon Hotels’ members celebrate awards success

Members of the Exeter and Heart of Devon Hotels and Restaurants Association are celebrating recent success at the Devon Tourism Awards, winning awards across categories including Dog Friendly Accommodation of the Year, Venue & Business Tourism Award, Taste of Devon, Small Hotel of the Year and Large Hotel of the Year.

Mike Coombes, Chair of the Exeter and Heart of Devon Hotels and Restaurants Association, commented: “It’s great to see these fabulous Devon Hotels awarded for their consistent attention to quality and innovative service. A ringing endorsement of the quality of places to stay, eat and enjoy in Devon.”

The Highbullen Hotel in Umberleigh won multiple awards including Dog Friendly Accommodation of the Year (Gold), Large Hotel of the Year (Gold) and Taste of Devon Award (Bronze).

James Hemming, owner of the Highbullen Hotel said: “We could not be more delighted with our involvement in the 2014 Devon Tourism Awards. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication the entire team have put into the hotel over the past 18-months”.

James added: “The hotel has undergone a total transformation from its fixtures and fittings to how the staff work and interact with our guests.  The changes have been significant and rapid and the commitment from our staff has been unwavering.  We have seen the results of this in feedback from our guests, both face to face and online, and we are over the moon that this has been recognised by the Devon tourism community”.

The Horn of Plenty near Tavistock also won multiple awards which included Gold in Small Hotel of the Year, and Silver in both Taste of Devon and Venue & Business Tourism awards. There were also multiple awards for Northcote Manor Country House Hotel in Umberleigh which won Gold in the Taste of Devon Award, and Commended in the Small Hotel of the Year.

Other awards included Deer Park Country House Hotel based in Honiton which won Gold in the Venue and Business Tourism Award, and The Magdalen Chapter which won Silver in the Large Hotel of the Year.

Mark Godfrey from Deer Park said: "What an amazing night of hospitality excellence! I am privileged to be a part of the event and humbled to win such a fabulous award. We have worked hard to move from Silver to Gold and the team totally deserve this recognition."

Each winner endured a three-stage judging process, including assessment of their website, entry forms, mystery visits and a final independent judging panel. Winners will now be fast tracked into the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in February 2015 and then possibly on to the National Visit England Awards later in May 2015.

Devon Hotels, also known as the Exeter and Heart of Devon Hotels and Restaurants Association, is an Association of more than 45 of the finest hotels and restaurants in Devon.  For more information, please visit www.devonhotels.com.