Condé Nast Johansens has revealed the winners of their 2016 UK & Ireland Awards for Excellence:
Best Newcomer or Back on the Scene – Cliveden House, Berkshire, England
Reborn further to a 16-month revamp to the public spaces, guest rooms and suites, the epic Cliveden House is reliving its glory days. Almost SO grand, opulent and downright English it seems too fantastic to believe but here it is, in Berkshire beside the River Thames, conveniently near London and Heathrow Airport.
Best for Romance – Inverlochy Castle, Highlands, Scotland
After a week of sketching and painting at Lord Abinger’s Inverlochy Castle in 1873, Queen Victoria wrote, “I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot.” Built 10 years prior to her visit, not far from its original 13th-century fort namesake, (the first) Lord Abinger could not have picked a more scenic location within the foothills of Ben Nevis in the Western Highlands.
Best Service – Linthwaite House, Cumbria, England (pictured top)
Something that strikes you about Linthwaite House in the Lake District is the unyielding passion owner Mike Bevans has for his 30-bedroom slice of the dream. And it’s infectious! There are those Lake Windermere vistas (over to Belle Isle) for starters and endless acres of flowering garden and woodland as well as a nine hole putting green and par three practice hole.
Best Villa or Serviced Apartment – The Milestone Apartments at The Milestone Hotel & Apartments, London, England
The Milestone’s blend of personal service (complete a guest preference form prior to arrival), family and pet-friendly policies, opulent comfort and inspired cuisine see it winning accolades year after year. With a staff to guest ratio of 2:1 it’s no wonder. Each room, suite and apartment is utterly different, fashioned with fine fabrics, fresh flowers, antique furnishings and rare works of art.
Small and Exclusive – Glazebrook House Hotel, Devon, England (above)
Fantastical and artistic with a cool vintage vibe, Glazebrook House Hotel in Devon is the creative vision of maverick interior designer, Timothy Oulton. His combination of the weird and wonderful (inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland) and flawless quality defies the rulebook for traditional country hotel to offer an escape from reality.
Best for Families – Cheval Three Quays at the Tower of London, England
As the leaders in luxury serviced apartments, Cheval Residences has outdone itself again. New to London’s Square Mile, beside the Tower of London and overlooking the River Thames, Tower Bridge and City Hall, Cheval Three Quays is making waves.
Best Value – Oakley Court Hotel, Berkshire, England
If it’s an English classic you’re after, look no further than Berkshire’s Oakley Court Hotel. Set beside the Thames, just downwind of Windsor, you can almost hear the chukkas from the Great Park. And with Oakley fielding its own polo team there’s even more reason to visit, catch a match and join them in a glass of celebratory/commiserating bubbly.
Best Dining Experience – The Atlantic Hotel, Jersey Channel Islands (above)
It’s easy to understand how The Atlantic Hotel has retained its Michelin Star since 2007 with highly qualified Restaurant Manager Martinho de Sousa and Executive Chef Mark Jordan at the helm. Only the best in fresh and local produce is served including island treats such as lobster and sole.
Best Hotel with Spa – Dormy House, Worcestershire, England
Revitalised, revamped and revived, Dormy House has undergone an ambitious transformation and its long-awaited House Spa is now open, promising to have you feeling equally renewed and transformed! This is a spa that brings the countryside in.
Best Waterside Hotel – Hotel Tresanton, Cornwall, England
Back in 1997 Olga Polizzi oversaw the reincarnation of Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes. From yachtsmen’s club to charming seaside hotel, Olga transformed this pretty cluster of quaint whitewashed houses into elegantly comfortable guest rooms and reception rooms.
Best Countryside Hotel – Old Swan & Minster Mill, Oxfordshire, England
The de Savary family’s latest gift to the boutique hotel scene is the Old Swan & Minster Mill. Their authority on unpretentious, upscale hospitality combined with the idyllic village setting of Old Minster has succeeded in setting new heights of traditional English accommodation and gastro-pub dining.
Best Urban Hotel – The Marylebone, London, England
London’s district of Marylebone is where village-style character meets vibrant city life. With Theatreland, Madame Tussauds, Regent’s and Hyde Parks, high-street and high-end shopping at Oxford and Bond Streets all close by, it offers the best of both worlds: a brilliant base for the tourist trail and a fashionable residential address. Spanning across an entire block of the neighbourhood, The Marylebone is a reflection of its affluent location.
Best for Green Practices – Llangoed Hall, Powys, Wales
Left for ruin in the 1980s, the saviour of centuries-old Llangoed Hall in Wye Valley’s designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was Sir Bernard Ashley. Armed with an artistic flair, dogged determination, his children’s professional expertise and the memory of late wife and business partner (Laura Ashley of chic country-style fame), the resurrection of Llangoed Hall took three years. Architect Sir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis’s 1912 redesign had been preserved.
Best for Meetings – Warren House, Surrey, England (above)
A master of organised events, Warren House is one killer of a venue abuzz with all manner of corporate, leisure and celebratory goings-on. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy a B&B stay or simply visit for one of the startlingly tasty afternoon teas (the in-house pastry chef is a skilled craftswoman – what you can’t finish, take home with you!).
Best for Weddings, Parties and Special Events – Whittlebury Hall Conference, Training Centre, Hotel & Spa, Northamptonshire, England
Whittlebury Hall is a conference and training centre, hotel and spa. It’s the type of property an event planner dreams about set in peaceful rolling Northamptonshire countryside. Inside, there’s numerous training suites, syndicate rooms, spacious meeting rooms and an executive boardroom all fitted with a wealth of the latest state-of-the-art presentation equipment.
Condé Nast Johansens Readers’ Award – Watersmeet Hotel & Restaurant, Devon, England
From an elevated position above peaceful Combesgate beach, just moments from the South West Coastal Path, Watersmeet Hotel & Restaurant seemingly floats above the rolling waves of the North Atlantic coast. Considered one of the finest and most dramatic locations in the South West, Watersmeet resides between the Victorian seaside village of Mortehoe and award-winning Woolacombe beach.
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