travelling-blogger

comments

We're all holding our breath.

No, it's not the Great British Bake Off but the Good Hotel Guide's coveted Cesar awards.

Named after legendary Swiss hotelier César Ritz, the annual awards recognise that 'a good hotel is where the guest comes first'.

Here, Travelmail exclusively reveals the winners.

Scroll down for video 

Moor of Rannoch Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland was named Newcomer of the Year by the Good Hotel Guide

What a view: Moor of Rannoch Hotel allows guests to escape into the wilderness in almost complete isolation

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Moor of Rannoch Hotel, Rannoch Station, Perthshire

In A spectacular setting on the edge of one of Europe's last wildernesses, this 19th-century hotel has been transformed by its new owners, Scott Meikle and Stephanie Graham. There are no TVs, no radios, no Wi-Fi and spasmodic mobile reception. You just have to go for a walk.

The interiors are cosy, the dinner menu inventive. Look out for the cumin and coriander lamb cutlets.

NEED TO KNOW: Catch a sleeper from London (or the North-West) and arrive in time for breakfast at the hotel and a full day on the moor.

DETAILS: Doubles from £114 B&B (01882 633238, moorofrannoch.co.uk)

COUNTRY HOTEL OF THE YEAR

The Pear Tree At Purton, Purton, Wiltshire

Timeless values — individual service, decently equipped bedrooms and good food — prevail at this sympathetically extended 16th-century former vicarage.

Anne Young and daughter Alix Baldwin ensure the personal touch. Chef Alan Postill's delicious tart with pimentos, and excellent hake are served in the light-filled dining room. Breakfast includes honey from the hotel's bees.

NEED TO KNOW: The Pear Tree serves wine from its own vineyard.

DETAILS: Doubles from £109 B&B (01793 772100, peartreepurton.co.uk) 

Take a video tour of the stunning Pear Tree At Purton hotel

Lords of the Manor at Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire, is a 17th-century former rectory

COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire

In a beautiful Cotswold village, this 17th-century former rectory, now a country house hotel, is classy but not ostentatious. Interiors are impeccable: furnished with antiques and elegant modern furniture.

Chef Richard Edwards has a Michelin star. Specialties include ravioli of smoked haddock and quail egg yolk and poached and roast breast of pigeon. Breakfast has the lightest-ever croissants.

NEED TO KNOW: Upper Slaughter has no war memorial because no villager died in action in either world war.

DETAILS: Doubles from £199 B&B (01451 820243, lordsofthemanor.com)

SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Yalbury Cottage, Lower Bockhampton, Dorset

Cosy and friendly, this hotel in a Dorset hamlet is a conversion of 300-year-old thatched cottages which once housed the shepherd and the keeper of the water meadows.

The bedrooms, decorated in rural style, look across fields. Ariane and Jamie Jones are the welcoming owners; his cooking of pork tenderloin with Blue Vinny sauce and duck liver parfait is sensational.

NEED TO KNOW: Lower Bockhampton was the inspiration for the village of Mellstock in Thomas Hardy's Under the Greenwood Tree. His birthplace is within walking distance.

DETAILS: Doubles from £95 B&B (01305 262382, yalburycottage.com)

Bring the kids: Fowey Hall at Fowey, Cornwall, has been named Family Hotel of the Year

Kid-friendly hotel: Fowey Hall is thought to have been the inspiration for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows

FAMILY HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Fowey Hall, Fowey, Cornwall

Nowhere is out of bounds for children at this Victorian mansion, where younger guests thrive without any loss of luxury for adults. Parents can enjoy spa treatments or relax in the swish, comfy lounge while their offspring go to the creche, play areas or the swimming pool.

NEED TO KNOW: Fowey Hall is thought to have been the inspiration for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows.

DETAILS: Doubles from £160 B&B (01726 833866, foweyhallhotel.co.uk)

DOG-FRIENDLY HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Overwater Hall, Ireby, Cumbria

Fido (and children) are welcomed at this small country hotel run in hands-on style by owners Stephen Bore and Angela and Adrian Hyde.

Dogs are allowed in all bedrooms and in one of the lounges ('not on chairs, please'); they can roam off the lead in the 18-acre grounds. There is even a dog-sitting service.

NEED TO KNOW: Overwater Hall is a listed, castellated Georgian mansion which takes its name from the tarn 500 yards away.

DETAILS: From £80 pp B&B (017687 76566, overwaterhall.co.uk)

Raise a glass: The Talbot Inn at Mells, Somerset is a former coaching inn

PUB-WITH-ROOMS OF THE YEAR

The Talbot Inn, Mells, Somerset

Styled with flair, this former coaching inn has a relaxed vibe thanks to the cheerful young staff. The bedrooms are decorated simply with work by local artists on the walls.

Narrow corridors link intimate dining areas, where fish and chops are grilled on an open fire and served at long, shared tables.

NEED TO KNOW: Mells is a Domesday Book village.

DETAILS: Doubles from £95 B&B (01373 812254, talbotinn.com) 

WELSH HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Milebrook House, Knighton, Powys

Three generations of the Marsden family skilfully run this small country hotel in the Teme valley. Beryl Marsden, who appears to be always on duty, is assisted by her daughter, Joanne; her granddaughter, Katie, is the chef.

Close to the border, the house was once the home of explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger and Emperor Haile Selassie was once a guest.

NEED TO KNOW: Just a mile away is the Spaceguard Centre, a working observatory which is the main source of information in the UK on asteroids.

DETAILS: Doubles from £144 B&B (01547 528632, milebrookhouse.co.uk)

Bring your appetite: The Green Park at Pitlochry, Perthshire, has won the title of Scottish Hotel of the Year

SCOTTISH HOTEL OF THE YEAR

The Green Park, Pitlochry, Perthshire

REMARKABLE attention to detail and an impressive level of personal service stand out at the McMenemie family's traditional hotel on the banks of the River Tummel. Children are welcome.

A huge spread of free tea, biscuits and cakes is laid out on the dining room sideboard.

NEED TO KNOW: The hotel provides free transport to and from the rail and bus stations.

DETAILS: From £75 pp B&B (01796 473248, thegreenpark.co.uk)

IRISH GUEST HOUSE OF THE YEAR

Newforge House, Magheralin, Co. Armagh

Irish hospitality at its best is offered by John and Louise Mathers at the Georgian house which his family has owned for six generations.

They have sympathetically renovated the house (built in 1785) to run it as an upmarket guest house. Midway between Belfast and Armagh, it is well placed for visitors exploring Ireland, north and south.

NEED TO KNOW: The array of Irish breads is impressive and breakfast is served with white and black puddings.

DETAILS: From £60 pp B&B (028 9261 1255, newforgehouse.com)

Readers can buy the Good Hotel Guide for £15 including P&P — a 25 per cent discount. Email editor@goodhotelguide.com, quoting Daily Mail, or visit goodhotelguide.com.