A historic hotel on the outskirts of Coventry has been named the best in the West Midlands at a major awards ceremony and now has a chance to take home the top national prize.

Coombe Abbey Hotel has claimed the Gold award for Large Hotel at the West Midlands Tourism Awards 2024 at The Bear Grylls Adventure at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

The 12th century Cistercian abbey, which is operated by No Ordinary Hospitality, was praised by judges for its warm service, support of local initiatives and suppliers, and commitment to becoming more sustainable.

The venue, which boasts landscaped gardens designed by Capability Brown and is a sought-after wedding venue for couples across the country, saw off competition from renowned hotels across the region with major investment helping to expand the venue’s food and drink offer.

Ron Terry, Group Operations Director at No Ordinary Hospitality, said the victory was a major step for Coombe Abbey in its bid to be the leading hotel in the area.

He said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have claimed this award on a fantastic night for us and for the region as a whole, with competition incredibly strong this year.

“For us, this is affirmation of our belief that we are a leading choice for visitors to the West Midlands and Warwickshire – for leisure and business.

“Staff throughout the organisation have worked extremely hard to provide the best possible service while implementing a range of new initiatives designed to build on Coombe Abbey’s reputation as a sough-after, unique place to visit and this award is testament to their hard work.”

The hotel is renowned for its afternoon tea and medieval banquets, with themed Christmas, Mothers’ Day and tribute night experiences proving popular with visitors over the last 12 months.

Last year also saw the team encouraging visitors to spend more time within its 500-acre grounds through a staycation package, allowing people to explore all the hotel has to offer across a two-day stay.

A new ‘farm-shop’ style, the Abbey Artisan Market, has also been a hit with visitors able to pick up fresh local produce, snacks and hot drinks, while operators also restarted one of the only punt services in the region last summer to enable visitors to explore the abbey from a new perspective.

The West Midlands Tourism Awards saw 35 of the region’s top attractions competing across 14 categories.

The regional winners now have the chance to claim the national prize in their category at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2024.

Coombe Abbey Hotel picked up the same prize at the West Midlands Tourism Awards in 2020.

Published 22/03/2024