Buxton B&B wins prestigious award for service

Martin and Kathryn Gilson were presented with their award at the Independent Hotel Show in London, last month.

Martin and Kathryn Gilson, of Griff House bed and breakfast on Crompton Road, picked up the Visit England ROSE, which is presented to just 100 of 23,000 quality-assessed accommodation businesses that go the extra mile to provide excellent customer service.

Martin said: “We love welcoming guests into our home, helping them explore beautiful Buxton and the amazing Peak District.

“It was a wonderful surprise to receive such a prestigious award for something we enjoy doing.

“It was both pleasing and a little humbling.”

The couple bought Griff House in 2011 and the recently-refurbished property has five letting rooms and is the only bed and breakfast in the Buxton area holding an award from Green Tourism, the world’s largest sustainable certification programme. It is also rated highly on TripAdvisor.

The judges were impressed with guests’ comments on review sites such as TripAdvisor and in the visitors’ book.

Reviewers consistently comment about the “attention to detail” including the room fridges with fresh milk and extra little touches such as sewing kits and the boot drying service.

They also praise the customer service and say they appreciate the owners’ knowledge of the area.

Martin and Kathryn say they are proud that their guests feel like that about the service they offer.

VisitEngland’s head of industry development, Pam Foden, said: “Providing a high level of customer service is crucial to repeat business.”

Martin and Kathryn were presented with their award at the Independent Hotel Show in London last month.