UK tops in Booking.com’s Best Awards

Booking.com, the world’s number one accommodation site, has unveiled The Booking’s Best Awards with 33 properties from the UK commended – more than any other country in the world. These exclusive awards go to only 250 accommodations out of a possible 600,000 around the globe and were decided by over 40 million real, relevant and recent customer reviews.

Whether it’s the tastiest breakfast, an off the beaten track stay or just plain value for money, the Booking’s Best Awards recognise that it’s the little things that can make or break a holiday.

6 UK properties in European Top 10

In the UK, Mitchelcroft B&B in Buckfastleigh (pictured above and below) ) topped the charts, coming in the Top 10 of three categories, including Best Global accommodation, Best European accommodation and Best B&B. Also ranked in the Top 10 global properties were Rosemount House & Stables in Ayr and Woodlands Guesthouse in Lynton, with six UK accommodations featuring in the European Top 10.

The UK has the most Booking’s Best accommodations

The UK has a total of33 awards given to 30 accommodations, including:

• 9 in Scotland
• 3 in Wales
• 18 in England
• [vs. 5 in France; 16 in Germany; 27 in Italy]

That extra ‘something special’ for guests

This year, Booking.com has expanded The Booking’s Best Awards by also recognising accommodations which offer that extra something special to their guests, from the most delicious cocktails, the best freebies or amazing ‘towel art’.

These unique and fun ‘Booking.Yeah’ accommodations  show how every traveller differs in what makes their stay truly memorable, and were determined by digging into the wealth of travel insights provided by Booking.com reviewers.

Top 10 hotels for cocktails: 3 out of 10 in UK

The Booking’s Best Awards highlighted Britain’s taste for a tipple with three out of the Top 10 hotels in the world for cocktails being in the UK.

Additionally, the awards uncovered how the North of England was the best place to stay if you want to bag a freebie, with The Blue Rooms in York and The Z Hotel in Liverpool being rated highly for their complimentary room treats. Travellers commended the Holiday Inn in Birmingham for its choice of pillows and other categories showed the most breath-taking views from around the world or the best swimming pool.

Above: Rosemount House – No.5 in Global Top Ten

Best year yet for UK

“This has been the best year yet for UK properties with a record 33 accommodations awarded,” comments Jason Grist, UK Area Manager for Booking.com.  “As a data-driven company, we have the tools to explore the breadth and diversity of our 44 million+ reviews and really get to know our customers. For them, what makes a holiday really special is the unique side of their accommodation which we’ve highlighted in our awards: Best View, Best Freebies, Best Towel Origami, Best Infinity Pool and Best Cocktails.”

Awarded accommodation 

In addition to winning spots on the coveted lists, each Booking’s Best Awarded accommodation receives a badge of distinction that is featured on the property’s individual Booking.com page, as well as being featured on a dedicated Booking’s Best  Awards website which lists all the awarded  accommodation here.

The Booking’s Best Awards spotlight accommodation highly rated by real reviewers according to specific criteria across 25 categories, including:

• Region – Global, Off the Beaten Path, Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East & Caucasus, North America, Oceania, South & Central America
• Accommodation Type – Apartments, B&Bs, Farm stays, Hostels, Hotels, Resorts, Tents & Camping, Villas
• Traveller Type – Families, Groups, Mature Couples, Solo Travellers, Young Couples
• Best of Rest – Breakfast, Business, Hall of Fame , Value

Value of reviews to holiday-makers

Booking.com’s research across 17 markets has shown that over half of holiday-makers are likely to provide reviews on the places that they have stayed on holiday, while 85% of travellers feel that having access to these reviews helps them to make better decisions about where to stay. The opinion of online reviewers has been found to rank third after price and location as the biggest influence in a booker’s decision, ranking higher than the opinions of close family and friends. This highlights the importance of having a strict vetting process to ensure that all reviews are real, relevant and recent.

The Booking’s Best Awards Global Top Ten

For more information click here