Isle of Wight businesses are celebrating following a successful night at the annual Tourism South East Beautiful South Awards.
Tuesday night’s ceremony at the Grand Hotel in Brighton saw tourism businesses from across the south east vying for the much sought after accolades.
Gold for Tom’s Eco Lodge
Tom’s Eco Lodge at Tapnell Farm brought home Gold in the Glamping Business of the Year category.
Chloe Baker from Tapnell Farm said,
“Thank you so much to the team for making this happen, we can’t believe we won Gold in the Beautiful South Awards, we’re so happy and look forward to another good year and to entering this again!”
As winner of the category, Tom’s Eco Lodge will be automatically entered in the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, the winners of which will be revealed in 2025.
Walking Festival
The Isle of Wight Walking Festival, organised by Visit Isle of Wight, was awarded Silver in the Tourism Event/Festival of the Year.
The event, which takes place in May and October celebrates the Isle of Wight as a top walking destination, encouraging visitors outside of the main peak season to join local volunteer walk leaders to explore their favourite parts of the Island.
Summers: Testament to the continued hard work and dedication of the volunteers
Amy Summers, Sustainable Travel, Trade and Exhibitions Manager at Visit Isle of Wight said,
“I’m delighted to win Silver in the Best Event/Festival category, especially as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the walking festival this year.
“To be selected as a finalist and win an award for two years in a row is a testament to the continued hard work and dedication of the volunteers who are the lifeblood of the festival.
“With over 70% of visitors coming from the mainland and overseas, this year the festival has added over £ 1 million in additional economic spend to the Island. My thanks to everyone involved for making the festival a multi-award-winning event.”
The new owners of the Royal Hotel in Ventnor are also celebrating, winning Silver in the Restaurant of the Year category.
Bathich: Our team create unforgettable dining experiences daily
Mohamed Bathich, new owner of The Royal Hotel said,
“We are absolutely delighted to have won in The Beautiful South’s Restaurant of the Year category for a third year in a row.
“This achievement is a true testament to the dedication and talent of our Royal kitchen team, led by Head Chef Jacob Gough, and our exceptional front of house staff.
“Our team create unforgettable dining experiences daily. It’s an honour for The Royal Hotel to represent the Isle of Wight at such prestigious awards, showcasing our Island as a destination for food lovers.”
Bates: It was great to see the Isle of Wight so well represented
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary was shortlisted in two categories, placing Silver in the Café/Tearoom of the Year and Bronze in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year categories.
Lawrence Bates, CEO Wildheart attended the awards:
“It was a pleasure to be a part of our very first Beautiful South Awards this year, we’re delighted to be awarded Silver in the Cafe and Tearoom of the Year category and Bronze in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category.
“This is a huge achievement for our Sanctuary, and so incredible to be competing with the likes of Blenheim Palace, who won gold in the large attraction category. It certainly elevates us to a new level, giving us the potential to raise our profile and showcase the incredible work that we do!
“Our Café recently changed to Vegan, so to be recognised in this category with a silver award certainly reaffirms the success of this bold move. We look forward to taking these successes into our plans going forward.
“This was our first time, and we will be back – already talking about which category to enter next year!
“Our team had a fabulous evening at the awards ceremony at The Grand Hotel in Brighton. It was great to see the Isle of Wight so well represented across a range of other awards. Massive congratulations to all of the winners on the night, and thanks to all of the sponsors and Tourism South East for making this magical night happen.”
“We are overjoyed to be recognised”
Entering for the first time, Old Mill Holiday Park at St Helens (pictured at top of article) received a commendation in the Holiday Park of the Year category.
A spokesperson for Old Mill Holiday Park said,
“We are overjoyed to be recognised in the Beautiful South Awards, especially as first-time participants.
“This commendation celebrates our dedication to creating memorable holidays and reflects the passion of our team in maintaining our park’s unique charm.”
Myles: This recognition is richly deserved
Will Myles, MD at Visit Isle of Wight congratulated the Island businesses,
“The Tourism South East Beautiful South Awards are a fantastic opportunity for Island businesses to show everyone just how good we are.
“The Island delivers high quality experiences time and again and this recognition is richly deserved.”
Downton: A real honour to play host to such truly exceptional businesses
Fran Downton, Chief Executive of Tourism South East said,
“Congratulations to all our winners. It was a real honour to play host to such truly exceptional businesses.
“The strength of our winners is testament to the incredible standards and unwavering quality of the Souths tourism and hospitality products.”
News shared by Simon on behalf of Visit Isle of Wight. Ed
