The Bower Inn near Bridgwater has this month (October, 2016) been declared Highly Commended by the Bristol Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards.
The award-winning boutique hotel, restaurant and pub was entered in the Small hotel, boutique accommodation of the year category for the new award scheme run by Services for Tourism.
Peter Starling, who co-owns The Bower Inn with his wife Candida Leaver, said: “Although our entry was not selected as a finalist this year, the organisers said the panel of judges were sufficiently impressed by our business to award us a Highly Commended certificate and we’re delighted with this as it denotes a level of excellence and that some areas of the business are outstanding.
“The judging took account of a combination of web searches, review sites, emails, telephone calls, a visit to our premises, value for money, plus any available additional evidence. To achieve a Highly Commended, given the level of competition, is a very significant achievement indeed. The Tourism awards this year attracted an amazing 110 entries, so the judges have had a very tough task in identifying the county’s best but we’re very pleased to be up there among the very best in the area.”
The Bower Inn will receive its certificate at the Bristol Bath and Somerset Awards ceremony, hosted by BBC Radio Bristol’s Laura Rawlings, on October 19 at the Double Tree by Hilton, Cadbury House in North Somerset.
The guest speaker at the event will be Sally Shalam, a former London Evening Standard travel editor, Guardian hotel critic and Condé Nast Traveller columnist.
Peter and Candida purchased The Bower Inn, which was a rundown and empty country pub at East Bower, in 2010.
“We’ve spent the past six years refurbishing and revitalising the inn’s fortunes and creating a successful pub, restaurant and boutique hotel with an excellent reputation for ambience, customer service and food.
“We’re open throughout the week, serving seasonal dishes with ingredients sourced from nearby. Last year, we added a further 11 bedrooms to the B&B aspect of the businessand now have 16 beautiful and individual hotel rooms that are all comfortable and inviting.”
All the bedrooms are en suite with Matki showers and feature vintage furniture and accessories, some dating back to the 1820s.
Its beds have Hypnos mattresses and duck down duvets, synthetic ones are available on request, or vintage eiderdowns combined with fine linens.
“We’re very flexible and will go that extra mile to welcome our guests and be accommodating. If a hotel guest wishes to have a simple dinner such as scrambled eggs on toast in their room, we can do this. Being a small, friendly, family-run, independent operation means we are open to customer requests and requirements, and it’s these aspects of the business that have won us this and our other awards.”
For further details about The Bower Inn, which is on Bower Lane on the outskirts of Bridgwater just off junction 23 of M5, or the competition, please call 01278 422926 or visitwww.thebowerinn.co.uk.