Lancaster

The North West’s top tourism businesses and professionals were honoured in Blackpool last night.

The 2009 Northwest Tourism Awards ceremony was held at Blackpool Tower and organised by the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

18 winners received awards fro BBC presenter Ranvir Singh:

• Bed and Breakfast of the Year – The Ashton, Lancaster
• Large Hotel of the Year – The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
• Small Hotel of the Year – Gilpin Lodge Country House Hotel, Windermere
• Self Catering Holiday of the Year – Hall Hills, Dalston, near Carlisle
• Holiday Park of the Year – Castlerigg Hall Caravan and Camping Park, Keswick, Cumbria
• Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – Imperial War Museum North, Manchester
• Small Visitor Attraction of the Year – Arley Hall & Gardens, Northwich, Cheshire
• Taste of England’s Northwest – Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop, Kendal, Cumbria
• Tourism Experience of the Year – Farmaggedon, near Ormskirk, Lancashire
• Tourism for All – Kerridge End Holiday Cottages, Macclesfield, Cheshire
• Tourism Event of the Year – Blackpool Illuminations
• Public Space Award – Pier Head Public Realm and Canal Link, Liverpool
• Tourist Information Centre of the Year – Wigan TIC
• Travel Journalist of the Year – Stephen McClarence, The Observer
• Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award – Nigel Haworth, Northcote, near Blackburn
• Excellence in Business Tourism – Arena and Convention Centre, Liverpool
• Excellence in Customer Service – Christina Dixon, Jurys Inn, Liverpool
• Sustainable Tourism Award – Arena and Convention Centre, Liverpool

Each will represent the North West in next year’s national tourism awards.

Heritage Open Days allow visitors free access to properties that normally charge an entrance fee or are not usually open to the public.

The event starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday September 13.

Hundreds of attractions and properties in the North West are taking part. For more details visit the official Heritage Open Days website.

Highlights include:

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Furness Abbey (more…)

Visitors looking for a cheap place to stay in North West England next year (or indeed the rest of the UK, Ireland or Spain) should take note that Travelodge today launched an amazing offer on budget rooms.

The budget hotel chain is offering 50,000 rooms at only £12. The rate applies for stays between January 1 and April 1 2010. Rooms are also available from £19 (book 21 days ahead) and from £29 (book 7 days ahead).

To take advantage of this amazing offer, visit this page on their website.

Things are hotting up at Bella Italia, with a range of new summer dishes that celebrate Italy’s finest flavours.

Bella’s menu makeover means that it now offers more choice than ever, so with the summer holidays in full swing, it’s the perfect place to treat the family.

As well as exciting new pizza, pasta and grill options, you can now enjoy an updated selection of salads, risottos and al forno dishes. And the desserts have received a summer shake-up too.

Pasta lovers will revel in the new Fusilli Pollo Spinaci – succulent shredded chicken breast, mushrooms and spinach, sautéed in a creamy gorgonzola sauce. And for the first time, diners can swap any pasta on the menu for a wholegrain fusilli.

Bella’s Mediterranean-inspired salads and paninis are the perfect lighter choice. A must-try is the Panino Pesto Rossa – a medley of sweet roasted vegetables and juicy buffalo mozzarella with red pesto on ciabatta bread, served with a side helping of fries.

Classic Italian risottos are a summer speciality at Bella Italia. Choose between the Zucca – a delicious combo of roasted peppers and butternut squash, and the Asparagi e Pancetta – a mix of crispy pancetta and asparagus. Made with authentic Arborio rice, topped with shaved parmesan and cooked slightly al dente, you won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy a slice of Italy with two new thin-crust pizzas, cooked to perfection. Try the Pesto Rosso Legumi – a feast of leeks, roasted peppers, olives, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, topped with mascarpone cheese on a red pesto base – bellissimo!

Families with a sweet tooth won’t be able to resist the selection of indulgent summer desserts, such as Bella’s very own light and fruity Berry Tiramisu with red berries and mascarpone cream. Or dip into the zesty and refreshing Torta Limone with a generous helping of cream.

Most importantly, to keep little ones happy this summer (and mums and dads in pocket), a special ‘Bambini Menu’ offers a main course, dessert, drink and an activity book for just £4.95.

Meanwhile, Bella Italia’s wine list offers a great selection of wines from across the Italian regions.

Bella Italia have numerous restaurants across the North West including Blackpool (Church Street and Victoria Street), Ellesmere Port (Cheshire Oaks), Chester (Eastgate), Lancaster (Church Street), Liverpool (Ranelagh Street), Manchester (Arndale, Deansgate, Piccadilly), Salford Quays (Lowry Outlet Mall), and Southport (Ocean Plaza).

The 2009 Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards ceremony will be held at Ribby Hall Village on June 10.

Businesses shortlisted include:

Bed and Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year:

• The Ashton, Lancaster
• The Cartford Inn, Little Eccleston
• Howarth House, St Annes
• Little Stubbins Bed and Breakfast, Claughton-on-Brock

Small Hotel of the Year

• Crofters Hotel, Garstang
• Mytton Fold Hotel and Golf Complex, Langho
• West Tower Country House Hotel, Aughton

Large Hotel of the Year

• Best Western Premier Leyland Hotel, Leyland
• The Midland Hotel, Morecambe
• Preston Marriott Hotel

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk
• Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, Rossendale
• Lancaster Canal Packet Boats
• Old Holly Farm, Garstang

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Blackpool Tower & Circus
• Blackpool Zoo
• Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
• WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Near Ormskirk

Taste Lancashire Award

• The Carmen Rose, Ribchester
• The Fisherman’s Retreat, Rossendale
• Homestead Farm’s Shop, Holmeswood
• La Locanda Ristorante Italiano, Gisburn

Business Tourism Award of the Year

• Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
• Preston Marriott Hotel
• Ribby Hall Village, Wrea Green

Sustainable Tourism Award

• Clough Bottom Farm Cottages, Bashall Eaves
• Malkin Tower Farm Holiday Cottages, Blacko
• Number One, South Beach, Blackpool
• Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

Access for All Tourism Award

• Grand Theatre, Blackpool
• Oswaldtwistle Mills Shopping Village
• Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool
• Wyresdale Wheels for All Partnership, Wyre

Best Tourism Experience of the Year

• Dukes at Williamson Park, Lancaster
• Farmaggedon at Farmer Ted’s Farm Park, Ormskirk
• Ribble Valley Food Trail
• Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

Award winning property developer Urban Splash is delighted to announce a new partnership that will see English Lakes Hotels manage the Midland Hotel in Morecambe from 8th April 2009.

English Lakes Hotels owns and operates five hotels in Cumbria and Lancashire. This arrangement will enable the Midland Hotel to benefit from their experience and bring the benefits of being part of a small group of high quality hotels in wonderful locations.

Bryan Gray, Chairman of Urban Splash Hotels said, ‘This is a great deal for everyone. The Midland will benefit from English Lakes Hotels’ experience and their excellent marketing. Urban Splash will retain ownership of The Midland and will work with English Lakes Hotels to promote the hotel and Morecambe’.

Simon Berry, Chairman of English Lakes Hotels said, ‘The Midland fits perfectly with our other hotels and, for the first time, gives us a seaside location. Urban Splash has done an outstanding job in restoring The Midland to its former glory and we’re now looking forward to building on the success of this iconic hotel.’

Originally built in the 1930s, The Midland was once a favourite haunt of celebrities like Coco Chanel, Wallace Simpson and Lawrence Olivier. Its restoration by Urban Splash has resulted in a beautiful 44 bedroom hotel, which overlooks the uninterrupted coastline of Morecambe Bay with views across to the Lake District.

Tom Bloxham Chairman MBE of Urban Splash added, ‘We are very proud of the Midland Hotel and all that has been achieved since it opened in June 2008.’

English Lakes Hotels is a family owned and run group of hotels. The existing hotels are five very individual properties, four of which are situated in the Lake District (Low Wood Hotel, Waterhead Hotel, Storrs Hall Hotel, Wild Boar Hotel) and one close to Lancaster (Lancaster House Hotel).

The Lancaster Guardian reports that English Lakes Hotels are in talks with Urban Splash to take over the management of the Midland Hotel in Morecambe.

Urban Splash, a Manchester-based development company, purchased the decaying Art Deco building in 2003 and after a multi-million pound redevelopment project, reopened the hotel in 2008.

English Lakes Hotels is a family-run hotel group. They own 5 hotels in the North West of England:

• Lake District: Low Wood Hotel, Waterhead Hotel, Storrs Hall Hotel, Wild Boar Hotel
• Lancaster: Lancaster House Hotel

Lancaster’s new tourist information centre will officially open to the public on March 26 2009.

The new Lancaster Visitor Information Centre is located at the Storey Creative Industries Centre on Meeting House Lane.

It has been funded by Lancaster City Council, the Northwest Regional Development Agency, and the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board.

James Berresford, Director of Tourism at the NWDA said, ‘Our aim is to have a modern network of well located visitor information centres across the Northwest, which provide visitor focused information and the highest levels of service. Lancaster’s new VIC is in a great spot close to the castle and the railway station, a strategic location that will ensure it is able to maximise its contribution the visitor economy.’

Plans for a new budget hotel in Lancaster city centre have been approved by the city council.

The Travelodge will offer 115 rooms and will be situated on the site of the former Regal Cinema on King Street.

Construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2009.

Budget hotel operator Travelodge is currently offering rooms at just £9 per night.

The offer is available on this special page on their website and is valid for bookings made now for stays between February and April 2009.

Rooms for other dates are also available from £19 and £29 provided bookings are made 7 and 21 days ahead respectively.