A warm welcome

ANYONE who has stayed in one of Yorkshire’s top hotels, or B&B, will realise that they have an unrivalled reputation when it comes to that priceless virtue – hospitality. In an era when guests can complain endlessly about a minor triviality while rarely acknowledging excellent service, it is refreshing that Britain’s hotel industry has now received global recognition.

For, while millions continue to be entertained by John Cleese’s antics as the hapless hotel manager in Fawlty Towers which is endlessly repeated on the BBC, many did come to view the 1970s sitcom as being indicative of all hotels and guest houses. It is not. And, while there will always be example of poor and tactless service, as illustrated by fly-on-the wall Channel Four series The Hotel, these are the exception – one bad internet review can make or break a reputation.

The problem is that a smooth-running hotel, one that also prides itself on utilising local suppliers, does not provide a rich source of material for TV producers.

As such, it is heartening that TripAdvisor’s research now celebrates this British success story, one that has its roots in these parts.