East Lodge scoops silver award at tourism ‘Oscars’
Derbyshire’s East Lodge hotel and restaurant
celebrated on Thursday night as it received a Silver award for "2009 Hotel of the Year" at the annual
Enjoy England Awards for Excellence. Flying the flag for hotels in Derbyshire
and the Peak District, the team at East Lodge celebrated their achievement
at a glitzy ceremony on St George’s Day, hosted by comedian Michael
McIntyre and sponsored by The Caravan Club - which took place at the
National Railway Museum in York.
Iain Hardman, one of the directors at
the family-run East Lodge, is delighted that the latest achievements
of the country house hotel have been recognised: “It is a real honour
for East Lodge to have received this accolade and we are naturally proud.
The team at East Lodge work tirelessly to ensure that our guests have
the best possible experience when they come to dine or stay with us,
and we hope this has a very positive impact on visitors’ perceptions
about Derbyshire and The Peak District’s offering.”
East Lodge has been owned and run for
ten years by the Hardman Family. Iain believes that in the current economic
climate, it is important to raise the profile of what the hospitality
industry has to offer - and the regional tourism offer in particular:
“Tourism and hospitality make a crucial contribution to UK PLC, and
it is crucial that we work together to raise service standards and shout
about what we can offer potential customers from home and abroad. As
a family, we have always been passionate about putting Derbyshire and
the Peak District on the map, and the recent achievements of East Lodge
allow us to do that with some confidence. We are really upbeat about
the tourism year ahead and will ensure that we make the most of the
potential increase in domestic tourism.”
East Lodge has picked up a number of
important accolades in recent years; in October 2008 it won Enjoy England’s
Small Hotel of the Year, and in 2007 it was announced ‘Derbyshire
Restaurant of the Year.’ East Lodge is currently one of the highest rated
hotel in the east Midlands, having been awarded the coveted red star
accolade by the AA which positions it within the top 150 hotels in Great
Britain and Ireland. | 