This award is designed to recognise and reward providers of services such as meals, sea crossings, event tickets and accommodation. We were looking for those suppliers who have made outstanding efforts to accommodate, attract, and welcome coaches, their drivers and their passengers.

This year, the award was divided into four categories, covering:

• Hotels and Catering
• Theatre and Venue Ticketing
• Tour Wholesaling
• Sea Transport/Water Crossing

This page covers the first of these, looking at Hotels and Catering.

Winners: Rezidor - Park Inn

Park Inn is a fast-growing fresh and innovative mid-market brand with 24 hotels in the UK and hotels across Europe and the Middle East. The chain believes in providing a great affordable hotel experience within its class. Rooms are functional, comfortable and practical.

Groups are very welcome at all hotels with great group rates, and at most hotels free coach parking is available. Keycards are ready as the group/coach arrives and are given out as the guests alight the coach. Receptionists are ready to deal with any guests requiring extra pillows or any other things they may need.

The judges were impressed that all hotel staff have undergone training in how to meet and greet coach parties and groups, also that there is a nominated person at each hotel who is responsible for this and arranging porterage. This clearly shows commitment to the coach and groups market and deserves recognition.

Runner Up:         Road Chef

Roadchef is one of Britain’s largest Motorway Service Area operators, welcoming over 140,000 coach groups and 60 million customers per year. Dedicated coach parking bays are provided at all Roadchef service areas, close to the entrance.

The Roadchef Coach Support Team was created to develop better relationships with coach companies, coach drivers and coach passengers, in order fully to satisfy their needs. Groups are always welcome into any Roadchef service area, whether they have pre-booked or not, and will always be accommodated to the highest possible standard.

The judges commended Roadchef's aim to provide a friendly, relaxing and restful environment for groups to have a break during their journey. They were particularly please to see that the group and coach market is seen as one of its most important segments, so much so that they have a dedicated coach support telephone line and message centre, and a special website page for coaches on their website with details of all current offers.

Judges' Special Commendation:     Blunsdon House Hotel, Swindon

Best Western Premier Blunsdon House hotel is set in 30 acres of idyllic Wiltshire countryside; it has been independently owned and operated by three generations of the Clifford Family since 1960 - meaning that 2010 was their Golden Jubilee year.

As Wiltshire's very first (1981) AA rated 4* hotel, the property provides a comprehensive range of facilities including : 108 en-suite bedrooms, 2 restaurants, 3 bars, 1 1 conference rooms, swimming pool, beauty salon, multiple gyms, a tennis court and a par 3 nine hole golf course. The hotel employs 152 full and part time staff, many of whom are different generations of the same family.

The hotel's team is regarded by the family as their greatest asset: by caring for them, they care for the guests. The hotel's ten longest serving members of staff have served a total of 327 years between them!

The hotel is a proud supporter of domestic tourism operators and has a proven track record of accommodating coach tours - come rain, shine, Christmas, economic boom or bust!

The judges were very impressed indeed with the extensive efforts made by the hotel to welcome and accommodate groups and coach parties, and felt that these merited a Special Commendation.

Highly Commended: Warner Leisure Hotels

Warner Leisure Hotels, part of the Bourne Leisure Group, offers adult only holidays at 13 properties throughout England and Wales. Ranging from Coastal Villages with a range of chalet accommodation to 3 & 4 star hotels in country and coastal settings including Grade I and Grade II Historic Houses with beautiful grounds and AA Rosette awarded dining options. The company strives to ensure all coach and group guests are treated as individuals rather than a collective group of people, and offers a range of special services for group organisers and coach operators.

With attractive rates, room upgrades where possible and meet and greet services for all coach arrivals, the judges felt that a Highly Commended award was richly deserved.

Who could be nominated?

This category was open to:

• hotels and hotel chains
• restaurants and restaurant chains

… and by whom

Readers of Coach and Bus Week magazine who are coach operators were asked to nominate providers of services they have admired during the last 12 months.

They were asked to explain why they think the nominated service provider deserves this award – this will cover such matters as:

• the ease of booking
• the flexibility and quality of customer service during the enquiry and booking stages
• the welcome provided on the ground to
  • the coach
  • the passengers
  • the driver