The owner of The Braemar Southport says he is delighted his guest house has been recognised as one of the top three in Merseyside.
The venue is among three guest houses in the seaside town which have been shortlisted for the prestigious B&B and Guest House of the Year title at the 2022 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards.
Sunnyside Bed and Breakfast and The Heidi Bed & Breakfast have also been included.
The Braemar Southport owner Mike France insisted that any victory will be “a win for Southport”, with victory giving a boost to the whole town.
He said: “The biggest news is that all three of us who have been shortlisted for the B&B and Guest House of the Year Awards are all from Southport!
“I see it as a massive plus for our town.
“Southport has been judged to have the very best B&Bs and guest houses across the whole of the Liverpool City Region.
“That is just brilliant. It is a huge boost for visitors, for our town, and also for local residents.
“Local residents often have family members who come and stay in Southport, and they stay here and in other guest houses.
“Now they can say to them – come and stay here in Southport, we have the best B&Bs and guest houses here in the whole Liverpool City Region.
“No matter who wins on the night, we will get up and cheer for each other – the winner in all of this is Southport.
“The B&B and Guest House of the Year trophy is coming to Southport! Whoever wins, the town wins!
“That has got to be a really good news story.
“It was such a boost when we heard the news. That we had all been shortlisted.
“I would particularly like to thank all our guests who have stayed with us, because they are the ones who make this all worthwhile.”
The Braemar Southport is already highly rated by the customers who stay there.
The venue is the third highest rated hotel or guest house on Booking.com, with an ‘Exceptional’ rating on the website and average score of 9.7 out of 10 from 218 reviews.
The venue scored 9.9 out of 10 for its location – not surprising for a guest house situated between the elegant Lord Street boulevard and Southport town centre on one side, and the Promenade and Southport seafront on the other.
The Braemar Southport offers visitors a shared lounge and free WiFi. All guest rooms in the guest house are equipped with a flat-screen TV. All rooms are equipped with a private bathroom with a shower. A à la carte breakfast is available every morning.
The three shortlisted venues are all part of the Southport Hotels Association.
There is a real bond, not just among guest house owners, but also with owners of local shops, restaurants, cafes and hotels. There is a real spirit of co-operation.
Mike France said: “We have a WhatsApp group which is really useful. We share good ideas and help each other out. You never stop learning. We are constantly listening to what our guests tell us, and try to improve what we offer.”
Since Covid lockdown restrictions loosened earlier this year, 2021 has mostly proved to be a positive year for The Braemer Southport and other hotels and guest houses in the town.
With fewer people braving overseas travel, there has been a staycation boom in the UK.
Southport, as one of the UK’s leading seaside tourist towns, has benefitted more than most.
Mike France said: “This is going to end up as one of our best years.
“People have really enjoyed coming for holidays to Southport.
“The response has been brilliant. Our reviews speak for themselves, which is great for our town.
“Lots of people have said they are looking forward to coming back next year.”
Many visitors are being drawn to Southport by the huge investment taking place and the new attractions and events happening.
The new Southport Market has reopened as an exciting food, drink and events venue after a £1.4million transformation; Lord Street now has ‘a boulevard of light’ with 300,000 new lights; Beales department store has opened on Lord Street.
Southport Classic and Speed, the Winter Light Trail and the Lookalike Trail are among new events at Victoria Park while a brand new roller coaster, Viking adventure golf and an illuminated observation wheel are opening at Southport Pleasureland.
Mike France said: “What is happening in Southport now is really exciting.
“Southport has always been a really good day tripper destination.
“We are benefitting from more and more people who visit and really like our town and want to come back.
“Our message to people across the UK is – come and stay in Southport. It’s a great place to play, to stay and to see.
“Southport is such a great place because it is so compact, you can walk everywhere here, and there are so many great events and attractions.”
The Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards ceremony takes place at Liverpool Cathedral on 10th March 2022.This has been a great year for Southport, with the other two places on the B&B and Guest House of the Year shortlist taken up by Sunnyside Bed and Breakfast and The Heidi Bed & Breakfast.
The Atkinson in Southport has been shortlisted as Large Visitor Attraction of the Year while The Windmill pub is competing for the Pub Of The Year title.
The annual awards are delivered by Growth Platform – Liverpool City Region Growth Company and this year in association with Liverpool BID Company.
- The Braemar Southport is at 4 Bath Street, Southport, PR9 0DA. Phone 01704 535838.
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