This was the second year that I had the pleasure to judge the Accommodation awards together with Brian Pope from Kingston Smith for the Essex Tourism and Hospitality Awards.

Last night was the awards dinner which was held at Boreham House in Chelmsford to celebrate our finalists and to announce our winners who are:

For the second year running The White Hart in Great Yeldham run by Matthew Mason won Best Small Hotel. Matt and his team have extended the number of rooms they now offer and have additional touches that enhance the experience of their guest. By having their own bee hives on site, they are able to sell honey to their guests and serve fresh honeycomb with their desserts.

The winner for Best Large Hotel is Down Hall Country House Hotel pictured below with General Manager Andrew Oxley and Director of Sales and Marketing Anna Snoep. The hotel is currently going through a refurbishment and it was great to be shown the “before” and “after”. They have opened a Spa on site and their plans are to be The Destination Hotel in Essex.

Our winner for the Best Bed and Breakfast deservedly went to Jacky and John Haigh the owners of Newdegate House. They have been running their establishment for 27 years and those years of experience have certainly paid off. Their Bed and Breakfast epitomises what hospitality is all about. It was wonderful to see the genuine delight and surprise that they had won.

For the Best Self-Catering Facility this year’s winner was Creeksea Place Barns run by Harry and Emily Wilsdon. The progression they have made since entering the awards last year has been fantastic and their recently opened cafe has become a destination in its own right for locals and tourist to meet.

Our final winner in the accommodation category for Best Campsite / Caravan Park goes to Osea Leisure Park. The competition this year, as it was last year was extremely tight between themselves and last year’s winner Waldegraves and Cosways Family Holiday Parks. For Osea Leisure Park the progression made in the last twelve months is outstanding and their eye catching Beach Huts add to the diversity of their offering.

Huge congratulations to all our winners. Photos of the full event have been published online by the Essex Chronicle