LUX Hotel & Spa Awards 2016

LUX - Hotel & Spa Awards 2016 29 Best B&B Accommodation 2016 - York No. 21 York is a boutique bed and breakfast in York. Nestled in a quiet road, the hotel is a stone’s throw away from the from the hustle bustle of the vibrant city centre. “Our clientele are mainly both local and international couples here on a getaway who are wanting to explore the amazing city which we now call home,” explains Simon Boyle, who runs No. 21 York with his wife, Andrea. “We are very fortunate to be situated in a destination city which attracts a lot of tourism to the area. York itself has a lot to offer but add to that the surrounding areas of the Moors, Dales, Wolds and Coastline, and you will see that York is an ideal base to explore what is commonly referred to as God’s Own County.” Built circa 1890, No. 21 York is a Victorian Terrace that has a history of offering accommodation and breakfast to guests since 1966, when Mrs. J.P. Morcome opened her home to travellers to the city as Morcome Guest House. This tradition of offering homely hospitality is something that Simon and Andrea are keen to continue. “Our ethos is one of inviting guests into our home whilst providing an informal, personalised experience and still maintaining the old traditions of hospitality and customer service,” says Simon and he continues to explain just how No. 21 York strives to distinguish itself from the competition. “We are fiercely proud of the fact that everything possible is sourced locally,” he enthuses. “All of our food produce is from local farm shops, butchers, delis, dairies and jam makers. From the flour in our bread being from a local flour mill, to our tea and coffee being from Taylor’s of Harrogate (a name synonymous with Yorkshire) we try to use local wherever we can. “Right from the outset of starting our B&B we wanted to ensure that everything we did was locally Best B&B Accommodation 2016 - York Company: No.21 York Name: Simon Boyle & Andrea Schipper Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.no21york.co.uk Address: 21 St. Mary’s, York, North Yorkshire YO30 7DD, United Kingdom Telephone: + 44 (0)1904 629494 HS160003 sourced from the artisans we used to help us with the refurbishment - right down to the beds and furnishings, which were made here in Yorkshire. “From the guests’ perspective, they really appreciate the little touches like the fresh milk in their rooms, local amenities and a wonderful fresh cooked breakfast that is all local produce. Guests will often comment that ours is the best breakfast they have eaten in any establishment.” Simon and Andrea firmly believe that the personal touch is the key to success when it comes to running a guest house, and helps to make No. 21 York a little more unique than its counterparts. “I believe that guests are looking more and more for the personalised service that a B&B or Boutique Hotel can offer them as opposed to your run-of-the- mill corporate-branded property – although there is still a place for these. Our feedback from our guests is that the individual welcome, recognition, personalised service and the time to talk and invest in them is really important. “As the owner of the business I make sure that I am on hand to meet & greet all of our guests, having their arrival time helps us to understand who is coming and when so we are able to greet them by name and know any particular requirements they might have,” Simon says. “We find that this also helps to create a great impression. The greeting is friendly & personalised and we offer suggestions of what to see and where to visit.” It’s not all about the little touches, however, and Simon is quick to give recognition to the team of dedicated staff that help run the hotel and make No. 21 York a success. “Our team have been working alongside us for 18 months now and we make sure that they feel a part of what we do through training and inclusion in whatever is going on. We work alongside them and will never ask them to do perform a task we are not willing or able to do ourselves. Awards and recognition are regularly celebrated by all which helps to foster a great working environment, but we also want them to be individuals with their own personality and input into the running of the B&B.” In the ever-evolving hospitality industry, it’s important to keep up-to-date and Simon tells us how he employs technology to ensure No. 21 York remains prevalent. “From the outset we have tried to keep pace with the changes in technology, from designing our website to be compatible with computers and mobile devices, to installing direct booking buttons on the website. We have also concentrated our efforts on social media to promote not only the property but also York and the surrounding areas too. “With regards to in-house technology, we offer a secure, free wifi service & have Smart TVs in all the rooms so that guests can access their emails, Amazon or Netflix accounts directly.” Over the following three years Simon and Andrea have plans to further improve their property and ensure that delighted guests continue to return time after time. “We are planning a phased refurbishment of the property which will see a reduction to seven bedrooms,” explains Simon. “This will offer more space to our guests and see the inclusion of a small seating area in each room; an upgrade to all of our shower rooms; inclusion of baths into some of our rooms; replacement of all of the sash windows and a refurb of our car park. “We will continue to strive to delight our guests whenever we can.” No.21 York