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Hotel customers are becoming harder to please. They're in search of an increasingly unique experience offering personalised service at a reasonable price. To stand out from the crowd in the independent hotel sector takes both innovation and determination, two qualities Ian and Christa Taylor, last year's winners of the Hotel of the Year - Independent Catey, have in abundance. Their hotel, Cotswold House, was the first Catey winner to scoop two accolades at the prestigious awards ceremony in the same year. They also won the Independent Marketing Campaign of the Year award.

Judges for the Hotel of the Year Catey selected last year's winner because "the personality and feel of it is absolutely that of an independent hotel", according to judge Hugh Taylor, regional vice-president, South, Hilton UK and Ireland.

Judges considering this year's Catey nominations will be looking for examples of good practice in the fields of sales and marketing, people development and product and service investment, and a passion for delivering excellent standards of hospitality.

The panel praised last year's winners for their "hands-on approach" and "for going the extra mile" to provide guests with the ultimate personalised service. These touches, combined with good lighting and quality accessories introduced into each room, demonstrated the couple's attention to detail without conveying any pretension.

Judge Richard Ball, managing director of Calcot Manor, winner of the Hotel of the Year - Independent 2004, said: "All the rooms are full of the wow factor. It's a hotel that's going places."

Fellow judge Ian Tate, regional director of specialist property finance for Bank of Scotland, added: "For a three-star product this really is excellent value for money. From a financial perspective I would say it's doing very well. They've invested heavily in the business and it's come through in the figures."

The Taylors were delighted to win the award and attributed their success to their decision to create "a unique property in the Cotswolds".

Do you have an independent hotel that fits the bill and can compete with the best of the best? Remember, the award is open to any hotel which is part of an independent business of three units or fewer and is wholly owned and operated by its owner.

Judges' criteria

The Independent Hotel of the Year will be an independent business of three units or fewer, wholly owned and operated by its owner. It will:

• Be a successful business of any size, category or market level.
• Show excellence in its chosen market.
• Offer an example to which others can aspire.
• Be able to demonstrate particular achievements in the past year.