The Telegraph wins Best Boutique Hotel at Blue Badge Access Awards

Hospitality operators have been recognised at this year’s Blue Badge Access Awards, held at a ceremony at the Hotel Brooklyn in Manchester last week.

The Telegraph hotel, Coventry, was awarded the ‘Liberty’ Award for the Best Boutique Hotel, while London hotels Great Scotland Yard and Shangri-La the Shard won the HEWI awards for Best Luxury Hotel and Best Accessible Toilet respectively.

Fischer’s in London’s Marylebone also took home the award for Best Restaurant, while 8 at The Londoner was awarded Best Bar.

The awards champion inclusivity in hotels, organisations and hospitality venues and recognise thoughtful, design-led accessibility.

The winners of the Celia Thomas Prize, Conceptual Design for Disabled Guests (Caroe Architecture) and Inclusive Guest Innovation (Centaur Robotics) took home a share of a prize fund of £20,000.

Robin Sheppard, co-founder of the Blue Badge Access Awards and president of Bespoke Hotels, added: “It is crucial to make the hotel experience more joyful and inclusive for both disabled and non-disabled guests, designing and creating a place of beauty and practicality for everyone to enjoy.”

He concluded: “Although we recognise the hospitality sector still has a long way to go, we were delighted to gather together for an evening and pay homage to like-minded individuals who have produced or constructed an offering that strives to promote equality for all.”

**The full list of winners : **

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  Leonard Cheshire Award, Most Inclusive Venue/Organisation: Purcell Architects, Norfolk County Hall

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  Institute of Hospitality Above & Beyond Award: The Bear Grylls Adventure

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  Bespoke Hotels Award, Access Champion of The Year: Amy Francis-Smith, Chartered RIBA Architect

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  HEWI Award, Best Luxury Hotel: Great Scotland Yard

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  HEWI Award, Best Accessible Toilet: Shangri-La The Shard

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  ‘Liberty’ Award, Best Boutique Hotel: The Telegraph Hotel, Coventry

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  Historic England Best Venue in an Historic Building: Warwick Castle

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  Blue Badge Style Award, Best Bar: 8 at The Londoner

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  Conran Award, Best Restaurant: Fischer’s

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  Celia Thomas Prize, Conceptual Design for Disabled Guests: Caroe Architecture

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  Inclusive Guest Innovation: Centaur Robotics

The judging panel included Robin Sheppard, chairman, Bespoke Hotels Group; Fiona Jarvis, CEO Blue Badge Style Ltd; Tina Norden, director Conran and Partners; Jane Duncan former president RIBA; Michael Vermeersch accessibility product marketing manager at Microsoft; Steve Ingham, CEO Page Group; Kellie Rixon MBE FIH, chair Institute of Hospitality; Poppy Szaybo, senior inclusion and diversity adviser, Historic England; and Paul Vaughan, Bespoke Hotels.