Visit England: Two staycations crowned best

Visitors have been told to head to Kites Nest Woodside Lodges in Ledbury and Hillside Cottage in Eckington after they were named for having the warmest of welcomes.

The businesses are two out of 100 selected for the Visit England ROSE Awards, which celebrates staycations that provide outstanding customer service and magical memories for their visitors. 

Lady Victoria Borwick, Visit England Chairman awarding Emma O'Boyle and Helen Powers with their award for Kites Nest Woodside Lodges. (Image: Kites Nest Woodside Lodges) They were selected after Worcestershire was also crowned the best place for a staycation in the UK after beating off the likes of Cornwall and Rutland.

Helen Powers, owner of Kites Nest Woodside Lodges, said: "We are so delighted and feel incredibly proud to have been awarded this Visit England Rose Award 2024.

"This amazing award is down to the whole team that works with us at Woodside Lodges Country Park, making sure that our accommodation is cleaned to a high standard and that our customers are well looked after from the moment they are looking for their holiday to when they come and stay with us.

The entrance of Woodside Lodges Country Park. (Image: Street View) "It really is a team effort for making sure our customers have a fabulous time here."

Woodside Lodges Country Park offers self-catering Scandinavian lodges, camping pods, a studio room, a touring caravan, and a campsite, all within 28 acres.

Hillside Cottage, a self-catering working farm on the foothills of Bredon, joined the park. 

Visitors who stay there are surrounded by 60 acres of farmland.

Visit England had selected two Worcestershire businesses along the five in the West Midlands category.

Andrew Stokes, Visit England director, said: “The ROSE Awards recognise the accommodation providers in England who deliver a fantastic welcome, provide outstanding customer service and make magical memories for their visitors. 

"They create the bedrock on which tourists build their holiday memories, encouraging them to discover more of the area and driving tourism spending across local communities.

“From glamorous glamping to world-leading B&Bs, from pubs to holiday parks, farms to rural retreats to self-catering cottages, there is a place to stay to suit all tastes and budgets in England with the awards highlighting the amazing diversity on offer.”