The Good Hotel Guide reveals its 10 César award winners

The Good Hotel Guide 2020: Great Britain & Ireland (www.goodhotelguide.com) is the leading independent UK hotel guide, established in 1978‎, and will launch its 42nd edition on Monday 7 October 2019. ‎

Co-edited by Adam and Caroline Raphael, together with award-winning travel writers Ian Belcher and Joanna Symons, the new 2020 edition features 830 hotels, inns and B&Bs, with 433 main entries chosen for their exceptional hospitality and distinctive style. The Guide’s choices range from great value B&Bs from as little as £75 per room per night (two sharing) to luxury hotels, restaurants-with-rooms, and boutique city hotels.

Co-editor Adam Raphael says: “We have come a long way since the first edition of the Guide was published. Whilst Wi-Fi and power showers have become the norm, what has remained integral to the Guide, is its honesty; not a penny is paid for an entry in the print edition. The test of a good hotel remains the same – great hospitality, attention to detail, and friendly, attentive service.”

10 César awards are presented each year to a selection of hotels which have demonstrated excellence in their field. Named after César Ritz, these are known as the Oscars of the hotel industry. Here are the Good Hotel Guide’s 10 César winners for 2020: ​

Newcomer of the year:  North House, Cowes, Isle of Wight‎

Just moments from the yachtie playground of The Solent, this immaculately run boutique hotel occupies a Grade II listed townhouse. Food is locally sourced, there is a pretty garden offering alfresco dining, plus 14 bedrooms with views of the sea or the garden courtyard, all overseen by hands-on owners and charming staff.

Seaside Hotel of the year:  The Old Coastguard, Mousehole, Cornwall‎

This informal dining pub has 14 bedrooms, many with sea views, and is decorated in the owners’, Charles and Edmund Inkin signature style: blazing fires, bare floorboards and mismatched furniture. Hit by a fire this summer, it will reopen in early 2020. Despite its temporary closure, the editors of the Guide awarded it a César because it is outstanding.

Country house hotel of the year: Old Downton Lodge, Ludlow, Shropshire‎

Set around parterre gardens deep in the countryside, this restaurant-with-rooms is a conversion of barns and farm buildings, has 10 unique rustic bedrooms and a spectacular Tudor-style dining room. The wine list has won numerous awards, and menus are crafted from the finest quality ingredients.

B&B of the year: Underleigh House, Hope, Derbyshire‎

Near the end of a quiet cul-de-sac within the Peak District National Park, this 19th-century farmhouse B&B overlooks the beautiful Hope Valley. Three of the four bedrooms are a suite, including one with French doors opening on to the garden. There is a cosy lounge with a log-burner and breakfast showcases an array of fresh local produce.

Romantic hotel of the year: Southernhay House, Exeter, Devon‎

On a pretty square just a stroll away from Exeter Cathedral, this romantic Georgian town house has 11 bedrooms, all with minibar, REN toiletries and comfy seating. The peaceful dining room offers a short menu of intelligent dishes served by charming waiting staff.

Inn of the year: The Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton, Yorkshire ‎

This former coaching inn has five contemporary bedrooms and views over nearby Dalton Park. There is a cosy beamed bar and a child-friendly Michelin-starred restaurant, popular for its vegetarian options. Tables are also available for dining in the garden, where everything planted – from roses to rosemary – is edible.

Scottish luxury hotel of the year:‎ The Airds Hotel, Port Appin, Argyll and Bute

Set beside Loch Linnhe, with views of the Morvern mountains, this 18th-century ferry inn has 11 individually appointed bedrooms and an award-winning restaurant which makes use of the best West Coast and home-grown produce. The hotel offers high tea for under-eights and guests can take cream tea by the fire in one of the lounges or alfresco in the hotel’s gardens, complete with lochside views.

Welsh hotel of the year:‎ The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire ‎

The very model of a town hotel, in the heart of Abergavenny, this family-run former Georgian coaching inn displays an inspiring collection of original artworks. There is dining in the Foxhunter Bar and Oak Room restaurant – or head to Michelin-starred sister restaurant, The Walnut Tree. The famous afternoon tea offers delicious cakes and pastries from the hotel’s own bakery.

Irish B&B of the year: The Quay House, Clifden, County Galway

In a small harbour town, this B&B is centred on a 19th-century harbourmaster’s house. The owners are keen auction hoppers and have charmingly decorated the property with their unique finds. Each of the 16 bedrooms has a terrace or balcony, most with harbour views, and breakfast is served in a bright, leafy conservatory.

Restaurant-with-rooms of the year: Read’s, Faversham, Kent

This Georgian manor house is on the outskirts of the market town of Faversham and has six traditional-style bedrooms, carefully furnished with antiques. The classically trained chef uses produce from the walled kitchen garden, plus local meat and game, to craft mouth-watering set-price menus.

The 2020 Guide has 36 new main entries and an extended shortlist section with 50 new entries. Its aim, as it has been over the past 40 years, is to champion properties where the guest comes first.‎

The 2020 Editor’s Choice section highlights the top 10 hotels in 16 categories:  This Year’s Discoveries, Romantic, Spas, Seaside, Restaurants-with-Rooms, Dog-friendly, Country House, Gardens, Rooms with a View, B&Bs, Value, Pubs-with-Rooms, Family, Walking, Quirky and ‎Weddings. All hotels are listed alphabetically, by village or town, with a photograph, and all of the Guide’s main entries include a full review with accompanying contact details.

This year’s revamped Shortlist ‎section features 397 properties with extended text and a photograph for each entry.

Many of the entries in the Good Hotel Guide 2020 are also available online at www.goodhotelguide.com, where there are a further five online-only Editor’s Choice hotel categories: Gourmet (new), Fishing, Golf, Eco-friendly and Historic.

The Good Hotel Guide 2020: Great Britain & Ireland will be published on Monday 7th October 2019, priced £16 (including p&p within the UK) from The Good Hotel Guide, 50 Addison Avenue, London W11 4QP (Tel: 020 7602 4182; https://www.goodhotelguide.com/buy-the-guide/) or priced £20 from all good bookshops.

Discount vouchers worth a total of £150 are included in each copy of the Guide. They enable a 25% saving off one night’s normal B&B price at participating hotels. Good Hotel Guide gift vouchers are also available, in denominations from £100 to £1,000.

Notes to Editors/Photography link:

Click here to download a high-res image of The Good Hotel Guide 2020 and images of each of the César winners.

Press: To request a copy of the 2020 Guide for review on or after 7th October 2019, for any other enquiries, including photography, or to interview the editors, please call:

Julia Farish, George Curtis or Sue Ockwell at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email j.farish@travelpr.co.uk, g.curtis@travelpr.co.uk or s.ockwell@travelpr.co.uk.