Bristol Lives: Thornbury Castle

Fresh from their victory at the Bristol Tourism & Hospitality Awards, we caught up with the team at Thornbury Castle to chat about winning Small Hotel of the Year for the second time running.

Congratulations on your win! Tell us a little bit about your business...

We're the only Tudor Castle open as a hotel in England. We have 26 stunning and uniquely designed bedchambers, and events space for up to 66. The hotel provides exceptionally warm and efficient service and exquisite food is served in our award winning Tower Restaurant. We're a popular venue for entertaining clients, celebrations and weddings.

What does winning this award mean for you and your company?

It’s a huge compliment to all of the staff who consistently provide outstanding service to each and every guest visiting Thornbury Castle. 

Why do you think you won?

We knew it was going to be a tough contest because Bristol has a wealth of fantastic small hotels. We submitted a strong entry and confidently presented to the judges the key attributes that make us such a brilliant small hotel. We'd won the award previously, so we knew we were capable but we're over the moon to have scooped it again for 2013. 

What do you think made you stand head and shoulders above the rest?

Our hotel is a very unique location, steeped in history and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Our passionate team of staff have worked so hard over the past year improving and striving for perfection, so this combined with further investment meant that we were more than worthy of the award.

How are you planning to celebrate your victory?

Some of the team were lucky enough to attend the awards dinner and they celebrated on Monday with champagne and dancing, we'll be sure to congratulate all staff and make them aware that their efforts have been acknowledged, I can sense that there'll certainly be more another bottle of champagne opened, perhaps we should tackle some of the vintage bottles in the cellar!

Are you feeling confident about progressing to the VisitEngland Awards?

We're keeping everything crossed, at the moment we're not sure which other hotels we'll be competing against. We know we have a great hotel and the exposure we'll receive as a result will be incredible for us. We're thrilled to have got as far as we have, we’d love to win and it would be absolutely great for team morale.

Business is clearly booming, why do you think so many people visit Bristol?

Bristol is a super multi-cultural city rich in history and there are so many fantastic places to visit, see and explore. We have the support of a great Destination Management Consultancy in Destination Bristol who pro-actively fly the flag for the area and we are really seeing the rewards of the promotional activity they are doing.

What’s your favourite thing about Bristol?

Definitely the warm and welcoming manner of Bristolians – they have so much pride for their city.

Tell us a little bit about the role that you play within the business?

I’m the hotel’s Sales Manager so I have the rewarding job of promoting the hotel to prospective clients, forging new working relationships and ensuring our existing clients continue to have amazing experiences at Thornbury Castle.

What advice would you give to someone looking to succeed in your industry?

It’s a hard but exciting job that requires commitment and dedication, however if you're lucky enough to secure a job with a great brand, the possibilities are endless and you get the chance to experience some amazing opportunities, meet some great people and make friendships with colleagues and guests that hopefully last for a lifetime.

www.thornburycastle.co.uk | @thornburycastl | www.facebook.com/thornburycastle