Scarlet and Bedruthan hotels win Enjoy England Sustainability Award

The RED Hotels in Cornwall - The Scarlet Hotel and Bedruthan Steps Hotel and Spa - have won the Sustainable Tourism Award in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2011.

The Scarlet Hotel is the newest of the two award-winning RED Hotels that scooped Gold at the awards

At the awards ceremony for England's holiday "Oscars" held on Friday night in Birmingham, the hotel group was given the gold award in the sustainable tourism category for having "sustainability woven into their very DNA".

Two other of greentraveller's accommodations were shortlisted as worthy finalists for the sustainability awards: Clough Bottom Farm Cottages, Lancashire (a working organic farm in the Forest of Bowland) and The Battlesteads Country Inn, Northumberland, a family-run, 18th century farm house.

Jason Freezer, VisitEngland's Destinations Manager and sustainability guru, said: "The calibre of the entries for the Sustainable Tourism category of the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence has been fantastic – making it the most exciting year yet to judge!  

"What is perhaps most remarkable is that a majority of these entries are pushing the boundaries of what most would expect in a “green” business. There are fantastic examples of technological innovation and creativity but the common factor with all the businesses this year is how sustainability is seen as an integral part of the quality offer and not an optional extra. RED hotels are the epitome of this with sustainability woven in to their very DNA."

Here's a summary of what I wrote about each hotel in my reviews for greentraveller:

Bedruthan Steps Hotel is one of the best family-friendly hotels in the country. Photo: Richard HammondBedruthan Steps Hotel: "Don’t let the large modernist exterior put you off, this is one of the best family-friendly hotels in the country. I’ve visited this hotel several times over the last three years and have always found the staff extremely friendly, the facilities for kids are first class, as is the food and the sea views in both the dining area and lounge."

>> See my full review of Bedruthan Steps

The Scarlet Hotel: "The Scarlet is perfect for that special indulgent break...they’ve set their stall out to be green and while lots of luxury hotels are jumping on the eco bandwagon, the Scarlet is the real deal. In my opinion it sets the standard for eco-friendly luxury in the UK."

>> See my full review of The Scarlet Hotel

This year was the 22nd year of the Enjoy England Awards. In all there are fifteen different categories, from visitor attractions and hotels to self-catering accommodation and caravan parks. Entries are submitted to the regional tourism partners and then short-listed to the national finals, culminating in the awards ceremony on 15 April. This year the awards were sponsored by The Caravan Club.