A HOTEL steeped in history has scooped one of its biggest accolades for decades.
Walworth Castle Hotel was crowned Hotel of the Year by the Best Western group for its customer care and service.
The grade 1 listed hotel on the outskirts of Teesdale was put through a rigorous inspection for the award which also looked at its strength on social media as well as its everyday service.
Owners Rachel and Chris Swain have run the hotel since 2000.
Mrs Swain said: “I think this is the biggest award we’ve won.
“We were absolutely delighted to be nominated let alone win it so we’re over the moon.”
Walworth Castle Hotel joined the Best Western group about ten years ago and has gradually expanded to host more weddings and functions.
A new outdoor pavilion was installed last year to enable it to host ceremonies in the open air and it managed to attract 80 weddings last year.
But the hotel’s impact in the cybersphere also set it apart from its rivals in the competition. Mrs Swain added: “Our reputation on social media sites such as Trip Advisor, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has improved significantly in the past 12 months.
“We are so proud of our team at the hotel – without their hard work, dedication and commitment we couldn’t have achieved this fantastic accolade.”
The 16th century castle is one of only eight grade 1 listed properties in its borough and has attracted guests from all over the world.
Staff have also celebrated achieving a five star food hygiene rating for the 14th year running and a “certificate of excellence” from the Trip Advisor website.
Mrs Swain said: “We are constantly investing in the hotel – we’re renovating the bedrooms and bathrooms so we want to bring the standard of the hotel up.
“We use seasonal produce in the restaurant and that’s something we want to let people know – we are open as a restaurant to everyone.”
