HOTELS, B&Bs and visitor attractions in the Cotswolds have proved yet again they are the cream of the crop when it comes to tourism.

The fourth annual Cotswold Tourism Awards highlighted the successes and achievements of Cotswold tourism businesses throughout the last year in 15 categories.

The Dormy House Hotel, near Broadway, which reopened in August after a £10 million refurbishment, won silver in the Small Hotel of the Year category.

General manager Sarah Stacey said: “We’ve had an exciting year at Dormy House and there’s more to look forward to in 2014 with the opening our new House Spa in February.

“The feedback since our reopening has been wonderful and we can’t wait to welcome more guests, new and old, to the Dormy.”

The Cotswold Farm Park, near Guiting Power, won silver in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year and gold in the Business Tourism Award category.

Farm park director Adam Henson said: “We’re absolutely delighted. I’m very, very proud.

We have a very hard-working team and very dedicated staff.

“It gives us a lift. It’s something to hang above the door with pride.”

Batsford Arboretum, near Moreton, also won silver in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category.

Stuart Priest, operations director, said: “This is the third year running Batsford has been placed in the top two of this prestigious category and we’re thrilled to remain one of the Cotswolds’ best large visitor attractions. 2013 gave us one of the latest and coldest springs in living memory, a long hot summer and a disappointingly late autumn – all of which have had a mixed effect on our visitor numbers.”

The Horse and Groom, in Bourton-on-the-Hill, won silver in the Tourism Pub of the Year category.

Tom Greenstock, who co-owns the pub with his brother Will, said: “We’re absolutely delighted.

Any award is great, it’s just really nice to have won something.

With something like this you put your heart and soul into it so that extra pat on the back from the industry can be a really welcome boost to keep focussed.”

The gold award for Tourism Experience of the Year went to Vintage and Modern, led by Tewkesbury borough and Cotswold district councils and encourages visitors to discover a different side to the Cotswolds through four car touring routes.

Councillor Barry Gibbs, cabinet member at Cotswold District Council responsible for tourism, said: “The Vintage and Modern campaign has proved very successful within the Visitor Information Centres.”

Sarah Tyler, of Cotswolds Tourism and GFirst LEP, said: “This year we have seen a record number of applicants across all categories and the competition has been steep. It was a shame we couldn’t recognise everyone.

“The judges had a difficult job but feel they have rewarded our biggest achievers and highlight what is great about our area.”

The gold and silver winners for each category will automatically go through to the VisitEngland national awards.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Bed and Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year

Gold – Hilden House, Cheltenham;

Silver – East House, Broadway;

Bronze – Woodchester Lodge, Stroud

Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year

Gold – Muir Cottage and the Bothy, Postlip Stables, Winchcombe;

Silver – Old Manor Cottage, Twyning; Bronze – Sudgrove Cottages, Miserden, Stroud.

Small Hotel of the Year

Gold – Calcot Manor, near Tetbury;

Silver – Dormy House, Broadway.

Large Hotel of the Year

Gold – Ellenborough Park, Cheltenham;

Silver – Hatton Court, Upton St Leonards;

Bronze – Montpelier Chapter, Cheltenham.

Bronze – Three Ways House, Mickleton.

Holiday Park/Holiday Village of the Year

Gold – Tudor Caravan Park, Slimbridge;

Silver – Winchcombe Camping and Caravanning Club Site.

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

Gold – Kelmscott Manor, Lechlade;

Silver – Court Barn Museum, Chipping Campden;

Bronze – Cotswolds Motoring Museum, Bourton-on-the-Water.

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

Gold – WWT Slimbridge;

Silver – Cotswolds Farm Park, Guiting Power;

Silver – Batsford Arboretum, near Moreton.

Bronze – Cattle Country, Berkeley; Bronze – Museum in the Park, Stroud.

Taste of England Award

Gold – The Little Green Wiggly Machine, Cirencester;

Silver – Huffkins, Burford; Bronze – Old Passage Inn, Arlingham.

Tourism Pub of the Year

Gold – Feathered Nest, Nether Westcote;

Silver – Horse and Groom, Bourton-on-the-Hill;

Bronze – Five All, Filkins, Lechlade.

Tourism Experience of the Year

Gold – Vintage and Modern;

Silver – Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway;

Bronze – Giffords Circus.

Tourism Event of the Year

Gold – RAF Air Tattoo, Fairford;

Silver – Tall Ships Festival; Bronze – Lechlade Festival;

Bronze – Moreton Show.

VIC Provider of the Year

Gold – Gloucester Tourist Information Centre;

Silver – Moreton Area Centre and Visitor Information;

Bronze – Bourton Visitor Information Centre

Access for All Tourism Award

Gold – Star Bistro;

Silver – New Brewery Arts.

Sustainable Tourism Award

Gold – Broadway Manor Cottages;

Silver – Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust; Bronze – Festival of Nature in Stroud.

Business Tourism Award

Gold – Cotswold Farm Park;

Silver – Farncombe, Broadway.