SKIPTON’S Rendezvous Hotel is celebrating regaining its place as a perfect destination for groups, an award it last won six years ago.

Proprietor Malcolm Weaving said he was proud of his hotel’s achievement and also proud of Skipton.

He said: “Yesterday (Thursday) we were awarded ‘Best Individual Hotel for Groups’ at the Group Travel Awards, a national awards scheme that recognises the very best hotels, visitor attractions, destinations and tourism suppliers across the UK.

“The awards are voted for by readers of ‘GTO Magazine’ one of the UK’s leading magazines for people who organise short breaks and holidays for groups.

“This award therefore recognises not only the hotel and our excellent team but also the wider visitor and holiday experience, and that means Skipton.”

Mr Weaving added: “This award reconfirms Skipton’s place as ‘Top Courtesy Town in Great Britain’ as awarded in 2016 by the ‘National Campaign for Courtesy’. It reconfirms the warm hospitable Yorkshire welcome that visitors receive when they venture into our memorable market town. Our compact and historic town centre with its old and interesting nooks and crannies, the canal basin, our unique High Street and shops, and not forgetting our perfectly preserved 10th century castle provide the backdrop to your very special welcome.

“Our guests enjoy their walk back to the Rendezvous Hotel along the towpath with its interesting, tranquil scenery. Our guests, especially the city dwellers, can’t get enough of Skipton because of its hospitality shown to them by our town residents.

“We last won this Group Travel Award in 2014 and have been shortlisted every year since.

“We at the Rendezvous will carry on bringing new visitors into Skipton, especially now we have our new attraction ‘Graceful Swan’, the first and foremost all-electric dining boat of its kind on the canals of Great Britain.

“So my message is this: People of Skipton, please keep providing your natural Yorkshire hospitality to visitors and we will all benefit.”