Eden – which has five hotels across the West Midlands and South West – was recognised for its consistency in quality and service delivery, and for the excellent work around its employee experience, as well as their broader efforts in tackling sustainability.

With nearly 900 guests, the AA Hospitality Awards highlight the very best in British hospitality, honouring achievements across fifteen categories – reflecting the industry’s commitment to innovation, quality and environmental responsibility.

Eden’s award win follows a year that has seen the business invest more than £3 million in venue refurbishments and colleague welfare initiatives – as well as adopting sustainability projects around food production.

This includes the recent £1.5 million refurbishment of 19 bedrooms at the four red star Mallory Court Hotel and Spa in Leamington, following the completion of £1.4 million worth of refurbishments at The Greenway Hotel and Spa in Cheltenham, which has seen a transformation of 21 bedrooms, communal areas and a new bar.

Investment has also stretched to its 500-strong workforce, including the launch of an app-based employee recognition programme called The Happy Hub, which includes activities that help to promote positive hormones – such as the ability to recognise a colleague with an e-card, an employee of the month initiative, and monetary recognitions for long service.

For guests, Eden is also commencing its “Inspired By” programme which brings to life the story of each hotel’s individual character for visitors, starting with Mallory Court whose ‘Inspired By our Gardens’ initiative sees the hotel’s workforce sharing knowledge with guests about how the hotel’s ten-acre gardens influence every aspect of the visitor experience – from dining through to décor.

The Group’s focus on growing its own produce on-site and utilising local suppliers has also continued to develop – including the introduction of a new kitchen garden at five-star Bovey Castle in Devon following the success of the kitchen garden and its tours at Mallory Court.

This complements the collection’s ability to recycle 100 per cent of its waste, with 30 per cent directly recycled, 50 per cent concerted into renewable energy, and 20 per cent processed by anaerobic digestion.

Alongside Mallory Court, The Greenway and Bovey Castle, The Eden Hotel Collection also operates the four red star Brockencote Hall Hotel in Kidderminster, and the four silver star Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Mark Chambers, Managing Director at The Eden Hotel Collection, said: “The AA Hospitality Awards are the holy grail for any hospitality business, so to be recognised as the best in our field for the second time in a decade is a testament to our people and the consistent delivery of excellence across all of our hotels.

“As a business everything we do feeds into providing the highest possible quality of service – from investing in our facilities, through to helping our people to be the best versions of themselves in terms of their skillsets, but also supporting them with everyday life, too.

“Reputation and recommendations are a key tool for success for any hospitality business, so this latest award win provides a fantastic launchpad for each of our five hotels to build on the great work they are already doing in their communities to attract locals and holidaymakers alike.”

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, expressed his pride in the resilience and creativity shown by the UK’s hospitality sector in 2024: “This incredible celebration is a true testament to the strength and innovation within our industry. The dedication and excellence demonstrated by all the hospitality teams have been nothing short of inspiring. Congratulations to all the winners, nominees, and new Rosette holders for their remarkable contributions.”

“Our low vacancy and high retention levels underline the great culture at all of our hotels. While it is vital that we conduct regular health checks with our own people, participating in external surveys such as Best Places are equally important to understand how we compare to the wider market to ensure we remain one of the leading hospitality employers in the UK.”

When the Sunday roasts relaunch on Sunday, September 1, guests will be able to tuck into vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and courgettes – some of which have been grown at the hotel’s on-site kitchen garden.

The return of the much-loved dish is being overseen by Executive Head Chef Keiron Stevens, who has previously worked in a three-Michelin starred fine dining restaurant.

Keiron said: “A Sunday roast is the go-to dish for so many people during the autumn and winter months not just because of its taste, but because it evokes so many happy memories of family gatherings – so the timing could not be better.

“We’ll be offering our cote de boeuf Sunday roast every Sunday all year round, which means some of the plate combinations are likely to change by the month in line with the seasons.”

The cote de boeuf will feature alongside the hotel’s A La Carte menu which features popular dishes including Cornish cod, Thai green curry, wild rice and coriander, through to Cornish plaice, charred courgette and shellfish sauce.

Josefine Blomqvist, general manager at Mallory Court Hotel and Spa, added: “Our Sunday roasts are a great way for locals to treat a loved one or celebrate a special occasion in picturesque countryside surroundings.

“We’re proud to have someone of Keiron’s culinary calibre leading our team of chefs utilising ingredients grown in our kitchen garden, which are two of the key ingredients that have made The Dining Room a recipe for success.”

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Companies included within the top 30 are recommended by their own employees, and the rankings are seen as an influential tool in helping hospitality organisations retain and recruit talent.

In the survey of Eden’s 500-strong workforce – 100-plus of which are from Mallory Court Hotel and Spa – more than 80 per cent agreed that the company cares about its people, creates a welcoming work environment, and provides recognition for a job well done.

It comes as Eden Hotel Collection has seen vacancy levels reduce by 62 per cent across the Group over the last three years, while the business’s 90-day retention rate has risen to 96.4 per cent over the same time period.

A key driver behind this has been the introduction of a new reward and recognition programme for staff to celebrate each other – called The Happy Hub – which promotes feel-good hormones amongst teams via a social recognition wall, instant rewards through gift vouchers and peer-to-peer e-cards.

Lisa Redding, Group People Director at Eden Hotel Collection, said: “This recognition underlines our commitment as an organisation to create an environment where people can thrive and develop, while having fun along the way.

“Seeking and acting upon feedback from our people has been key to our success in building a positive working culture where they can be the best version of themselves, which not only benefits their own lives, but upholds a great experience for our guests too.

“It was particularly pleasing to see that more than 90 per cent of our staff felt like the company cares about its people – which has been supported by our Happy Hub initiative which has generated more than 400 pieces of recognition in under three months.

“Recruiting and retaining the best talent is also a priority for us and underpins everything we do, so it was also useful to gather constructive feedback to ensure we are continuously enhancing our working environment for our people to aid our ongoing growth.”

Josefine Blomqvist, General Manager at Mallory Court Hotel and Spa, added: “There’s a real team spirit that runs throughout our workforce – whether it is covering someone else’s shift at short notice, or recognising a colleague when they have gone the extra mile for a guest – which truly makes this a great place to work.”

Mark Chambers, Managing Director at The Eden Hotel Collection, commented: “It is no secret that the hospitality industry has struggled with recruitment for a mixture of reasons, but at Eden we are making headway in bucking this trend by creating an attractive environment to forge a long-term career that is based on feedback from our people.

“Our low vacancy and high retention levels underline the great culture at all of our hotels. While it is vital that we conduct regular health checks with our own people, participating in external surveys such as Best Places are equally important to understand how we compare to the wider market to ensure we remain one of the leading hospitality employers in the UK.”