The finalists have been announced for the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2017/18.
The awards, which will be presented in Torquay on February 1, attracted a record number of 645 entries from businesses everywhere from the Isles of Scilly up to Gloucestershire.
Robin Barker, director of Services for Tourism, which manages the awards, said: “Excellence is elusive. It requires patience, vision, consistency, commitment, drive, hard work, skill and often a bit of money.
“That’s not an easy list and I’d like to commend this year’s finalists for once again blowing the socks of the judges. You are a credit to tourism and the region is proud of you.”
A large number of Cornish businesses are on the shortlist, including Gwel an Mor, which is up for Holiday Park of the Year, and the Star Castle Restaurant on the Isles of Scilly, which is in the running to be named Restaurant/Bistro of the Year.
FINALISTS
ACCESS & INCLUSIVITY AWARD
- BOD Bournemouth, Bournemouth, bodbournemouth.co.uk
- Mylor Sailing School, Cornwall, mylorsailingschool.co.uk
- Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Devon, exeter.gov.uk/ramm
- The Granary, Larkbeare Grange, Devon, larkbearegranary.net
- The Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath, romanbaths.co.uk
ACTIVE & SPORTING EXPERIENCE
- GoSkydive, Wiltshire, goskydive.com
- Lanhydrock, National Trust – outdoor offer, Cornwall, nationaltrust.org.uk/lanhydrock,
- Loose Reins, Dorset, loosereins.co.uk
- Newquay Activity Centre, Cornwall, newquayactivitycentre.co.uk
- Scilly Seal Snorkelling, Isles of Scilly, scillysealsnorkelling.com
- Skern Lodge, Devon, skernlodge.co.uk
ARTISTIC, CULTURAL & LEARNING EXPERIENCE
- All Hallows Farmhouse – Cookery School, Dorset, allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk
- Marlborough College Summer School, Wiltshire summerschool.co.uk
- National Maritime Museum Cornwall – British Tattoo Art Revealed Exhibition, Cornwall, nmmc.co.uk
- Rick Stein’s Cookery School, Cornwall, rickstein.com/school
BED AND BREAKFAST OF THE YEAR
- Dorset House, Dorset, dorsethouselyme.com
- Higher Gitcombe Boutique B & B, Devon, highergitcombe.co.uk
- Home Farm House, Dorset, homefarmhousewsg.com
- The 25 Boutique B&B, Devon the25.uk
- Wadebridge Bed and Breakfast, Cornwall, wadebridgebedandbreakfast.net
CAFÉ/TEAROOM OF THE YEAR
- Boscastle Farm Shop & Cafe, Cornwall, boscastlefarmshop.co.uk
- Cantina Kitchen and Bar, Devon, cantinagoodrington.co.uk
- Lion Rock Tea Rooms, Somerset, lionrocktearooms.co.uk
- Taste Cafe at Chesil Beach, Dorset, tastecafeatchesilbeach.co.uk
- The Guardhouse Cafe, Devon, guardhousecafe.com
CAMPING AND CARAVANNING PARK OF THE YEAR
- Appledore Park, Devon, appledorepark.co.uk
- Dolbeare Park, Cornwall, dolbeare.co.uk
- Polmanter Touring Park, Cornwall, polmanter.co.uk
- River Dart Country Park, Devon, riverdart.co.uk
DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
- Bulleigh Barton Manor, Devon, bulleighbartonmanor.co.uk
- Golden Acre Holiday Bungalows, Dorset, golden-acre.com
- Mullion Cove Hotel, Cornwall, mullion-cove.co.uk
- Old Lanwarnick Cottages, Cornwall, oldlanwarnick.co.uk
- Salad Days, Somerset, dunsterbeachhut.com
- The Salty Monk, Devon, saltymonk.com
GLAMPING & ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
- Dimpsey Glamping, Somerset, dimpsey.co.uk
- Longlands, Devon, longlandsdevon.co.uk
- Loose Reins, Dorset, loosereins.co.uk
- O’Connors Campers, Devon, oconnorscampers.co.uk
- Tor View Shepherds Huts, Somerset, torviewshepherdshuts.co.uk
GUIDED TOUR
- Adventure Segway, Cornwall, adventuresegway.com
- BBC Bristol Tours, Bristol, bbc.co.uk/showsandtours
- Encounter Cornwall, Cornwall, encountercornwall.com
- The Bristol Street Art Tour, Where the Wall, Bristol, wherethewall.com
HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR
- Cofton Holidays, Devon, coftonholidays.co.uk
- Gwel an Mor Resort, Cornwall, gwelanmor.com
- Oakdown Holiday Park, Devon, oakdown.co.uk
- Pentewan Sands Holiday Park, Cornwall, pentewan.co.uk
- Rockley Park, Dorset, haven.com/parks/dorset/rockley-park
INTERNATIONAL VISITOR EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR
- Foot Trails, Bath & SW, foottrails.co.uk
- Marlborough College Summer School, Wiltshire summerschool.co.uk
- Select South West Tours, Devon & Cornwall, selectsouthwesttours.com
- South West Coast Path Association, South West, southwestcoastpath.org.uk
- The Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath, romanbaths.co.uk
- Unique Devon Tours, Devon, uniquedevontours.com
LARGE ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR
- Hestercombe Gardens Trust, Somerset, hestercombe.com
- Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Dorset, moors-valley.co.uk
- Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Devon, exeter.gov.uk/ramm
- Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, english-heritage.org.uk/tintagel
- Wells Cathedral, Somerset, wellscathedral.org.uk
LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
- Bovey Castle, Devon, boveycastle.com
- Carbis Bay Hotel, Spa and Estate, Cornwall, carbisbayhotel.co.uk
- Ellenborough Park Hotel, Gloucestershire, ellenboroughpark.com
- Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wiltshire, lucknampark.co.uk
- Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa, Devon, salcombe-harbour-hotel.co.uk
OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD
- Finalists will be announced on the night
RESTAURANT/BISTRO OF THE YEAR
- Guildhall Tavern, Dorset, guildhalltavern.co.uk
- Menu Gordon Jones, Bath menugordonjones.co.uk
- Restaurant Hywel Jones by Lucknam Park, Wiltshire, lucknampark.co.uk
- The Elephant Restaurant, Devon, elephantrestaurant.co.uk
- The Fish House, Cornwall, thefishhousefistral.com
- The Star Castle Restaurant, Isles of Scilly, star-castle.co.uk
SELF CATERING HOLIDAY PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
- Aish Cross Holiday Cottages, Devon, aishcross.co.uk
- Lavender Hill Holidays, Somerset, lavenderhillholidays.co.uk
- Mullion Cove Luxury Harbour Apartments, Cornwall, mullion-cove.co.uk
- Westward Living, Devon, westwardliving.co.uk
SELF CATERING PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
- Old Barn Tregonetha, Cornwall, oldbarncornwall.co.uk
- Oversteps House, Devon, coastandcountry.co.uk/cottage-details/overhs
- Salad Days, Somerset, dunsterbeachhut.com
- The Milkshed, Devon, themilkshed-devon.com
SMALL ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR
- American Museum in Britain, Bath, americanmuseum.org
- Corinium Museum, Gloucestershire, coriniummuseum.org
- Plymouth Gin, Devon, plymouthdistillery.com
- Screech Owl Sanctuary, Cornwall, screechowlsanctuary.co.uk
- The Town Mill, Dorset, townmill.org
SMALL/BOUTIQUE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
- Cary Arms & Spa, Devon, caryarms.co.uk
- Green House Hotel, Bournemouth, thegreenhousehotel.co.uk
- Hell Bay Hotel, Isles of Scilly, hellbay.co.uk
- The Grange at Oborne, Dorset, thegrangeatoborne.co.uk
SPA AND WELLBEING EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR
- C Bay Spa, Cornwall, carbisbayhotel.co.uk/html/spa.html
- Cary Arms & Spa, Devon, caryarms.co.uk
- Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wiltshire, lucknampark.co.uk
- Mellulah Therapy & Yoga Retreats, Dorset, mellulah.co.uk
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD
- Millbrook Estate, Devon, millbrookcottages.co.uk
- Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol, noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk
- Old Barn Tregonetha, Cornwall, oldbarncornwall.co.uk
- River Dart Country Park, Devon, riverdart.co.uk
- Wild Futures, The Monkey Sanctuary, Cornwall, monkeysanctuary.org
TOURISM EVENT/FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
- Eat: Festivals, Somerset, eatfestivals.org
- Glas-Denbury Music & Arts Festival, Devon, glas-denbury.co.uk
- Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival, Dorset, dorsetseafood.co.uk
- Sherborne Abbey Festival, Dorset, sherborneabbeyfestival.org
- The Contemporary Craft Festival, Devon, craftsatboveytracey.co.uk
TOURISM PUB OF THE YEAR
- Acorn Inn, Dorset, acorn-inn.co.uk
- Pandora Inn, Cornwall, pandorainn.com
- The Gurnard’s Head, Cornwall, gurnardshead.co.uk
- The Luttrell Arms Hotel, Somerset, luttrellarms.co.uk
- The Swan Bampton, Devon, theswan.co
VENUE AND BUSINESS TOURISM AWARD
- Carbis Bay Hotel, Spa and Estate, Cornwall, carbisbayhotel.co.uk
- Deer Park Country Hotel, Devon, deerpark.co.uk
- RHS Rosemoor, Devon, rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor
- Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath, bathvenues.co.uk/venues/roman-baths-and-pump-room
- The Italian Villa, Dorset, the-italian-villa.co.uk
VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR
- Bude Tourist Information Centre, Cornwall, visitbude.info
- Kingsbridge Information Centre, Devon, hellokingsbridge.co.uk
- Plymouth Tourist Information Centre, Plymouth, visitplymouth.co.uk
- Swanage Information Centre, Dorset, visit-dorset.com/explore/towns/swanage
- Visit Truro, Cornwall, visittruro.org.uk
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO TOURISM
- Will be announced on the night
WINNER OF WINNERS
- Will be announced on the night
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