The Good Hotel Guide has thrown its support behind Caterer’s Stub Out Smoking campaign and called for a complete ban in the workplace.

In the new, independent, 2006 guide for Britain and Ireland released today, editors Desmond Balmer and Adam Raphael describe smoking as one person’s pleasure and another’s pain.

They acknowledge the success of Ireland’s ban and welcome the Scottish Executive’s intention to do the same next year and call on Prime Minster Tony Blair to stop prevaricating.

“We support the campaign launched by the hospitality industry’s trade paper, Caterer and Hotelkeeper, to ‘stub out smoking’. Our questionnaires have shown that this year more hoteliers than ever before have banned smoking throughout their premises,” they said.

Other gripes include a rising number of complaints about intrusive “background” music at hotels, and the surprising number of poor breakfasts that are allowed to mar guests’ stays.

César awards
Each year 10 hotels are nominated for these awards of excellence. This year’s winners are:

• Country hotel of the year – Blagdon Manor, Ashwater
• Best breakfast -  Bark House, Bampton, Exe Valley
• Inn of the year – the Drunken Duck Inn, Barngates, Lake District
• Newcomer of the year – Russell’s Restaurant, Broadway, Cotswolds
• Sporting hotel of the year – the Arundell Arms, Lifton
• For Informal country hospitality – Porlock Vale House, Porlock Weir, Exmoor
• Town hotel of the year – Browns hotel, Tavistock
• Scottish guest house of the year – Ardoch Lodge, Strathyre, Loch Lomond
• Welsh restaurant-with-rooms of the year - Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo
• Irish farm guest house of the year – Ballymakeigh House, Killeagh
• Special award – George Goring, previously London’s Goring hotel.

By Chris Druce

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