A North East lifestyle destination and a traditional country inn have both been recognised in Tripadvisor’s® Travellers’ Choice® Awards for 2024.
Raby Castle, Park and Gardens in Staindrop and High Force Hotel in Forest-in-Teesdale, which are both part of the Raby Estate, have scooped up the award which honours businesses that consistently earn great reviews, placing them among the top 10% of listings around the world on Tripadvisor.
High Force Hotel is a rural retreat with ten individually designed en-suite rooms and its own restaurant which serves locally-sourced food all day – including many produce from the Raby Estate.
Located in the scenic Upper Teesdale adjacent to High Force Waterfall, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in England, the hotel provides an escape to the country for its guests, including four-legged friends.
Andrew Lindsey, general manager at High Force Hotel said: “This award means such a lot as it is based on the feedback our visitors provide following their stay so a huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share this. Not only does their insight help to demonstrate what future visitors can expect, but we can also closely monitor this to ensure our guests continue to have the best experience possible.
“I’d also like to thank our amazing team who work incredibly hard to make sure everyone has a wonderful time during their stay with us. Nothing is too much trouble for the team and I feel immensely proud of their dedication to look after our guests so brilliantly.”
Raby Castle, Park and Gardens has recently opened its new lifestyle destination, offering visitors an all-day experience with acres of unexpected elegance, complete with heritage buildings, remodelled gardens, stylish shopping and local food that’s as fresh as it gets.
Following the development, known as ‘The Rising’, visitors can now enjoy The Vinery Café Restaurant, The Coach House shop and exhibition, remodelled walled gardens and magnificent historic event spaces.
This was the largest restoration project in decades with an extensive renovation of existing historic buildings and the sympathetic addition of two impressive new buildings, all thoughtfully tied together with newly landscaped and meandering walkways.
The historic castle, located near Staindrop, completed the first phase of its redevelopment plans in 2022 with the opening of its woodland adventure playground, The Plotters’ Forest, which has become a firm favourite with families in the area and visitors from further afield.
Alan McKerchar, general manager at Raby Castle, Park and Gardens said: “The news of this latest award win is wonderful to hear, especially as this comes from positive feedback from our visitors.
“What a tremendous year it’s been for Raby Castle as we welcomed visitors to our new leisure destination. The whole design has been thoughtfully put together with our visitors’ experience as one of the biggest priorities and we can’t wait to see their ongoing feedback now that everyone has so much more to see, enjoy and do at Raby Castle.”
As the world’s largest travel guidance platform, Tripadvisor has unparalleled authority with travellers and diners. This award is based on genuine feedback from anyone in the community who has visited and left an authentic, first-hand review on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period, making it a valuable and trustworthy designation of great places to visit.
“Congratulations to High Force Hotel and Raby Castle, Park and Gardens on their recognition in Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2024,” said John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor. “Travelers’ Choice honours businesses that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence. This means you have made such a memorable impact on your visitors that many of them took the time to go online and leave a great review about their experience. People rely on Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice seal to help them navigate the myriad of things to see, eat and do across the globe. We hope this recognition continues to drive business to you in 2024 and beyond.”
Tickets to access Raby Castle which is currently open Tuesday to Sunday between 11am and 4pm, can be purchased online in advance. An adult ticket is £18, a child ticket is £10 and a family ticket is £55 which also provides access to the Park and Gardens. More information can be found on the website www.raby.co.uk/whats-on/
To book a stay and for further details about High Force Hotel, including information about its summer escape offer, visit:www.raby.co.uk/high-force/hotel
