Hand Picked Hotels has chosen Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa, a picturesque Tudor manor set in the Northamptonshire countryside, as its Hotel of the Year – reflecting a stellar performance in 2016. 

Julia Hands, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hand Picked Hotels, paid tribute to the team at the hotel, led by General Manager Mark Clayton. She said: “The guest feedback was excellent, with exceptionally positive comments about the team, service and the overall experience. The employee survey results were the highest in the company – an excellent result for Mark Clayton’s leadership of a happy, highly effective team.  The hotel was awarded AA Red Star status, with an outstanding score,  as one of the top 250 hotels in the country, and delivered very strong financial results for the year.”

Mark Clayton said: “We are all so proud to have achieved the Hotel of the Year award. This is the result of the hard work and dedication by everyone here at Fawsley Hall.”

Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa, part of the Hand Picked Hotels collection of 20 hotels across the UK and Channel Islands, has an illustrious history and played host to Queen Elizabeth I and Henry VIII when the country house was the family seat of the Knightley family.  Set within parkland and formal gardens designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century, the hotel has a Tudor Great Hall, with a vaulted roof and mullion windows.

The hotel features 60 bedrooms and suites, wedding, conference and banqueting facilities, including the self-contained Grade I listed Georgian building, Knightley Court, which is available for exclusive use, complete with a private cinema. The spa is housed within the original lodge, a calming sanctuary with indoor pool, steam room and sauna, outdoor hydro pool, gym and treatment rooms.