A Chester couple are celebrating after their guest house was awarded a 5-Star grading and Gold Award by the Automobile Association.
It’s the highest accolade a guest house can receive under the annual assessment of visitor accommodation.
The proprietors, Helen and Colin Mitchell also received a Breakfast Award in recognition of the quality of the catering at Mitchells of Chester Guest House on Hough Green.
The couple said: “When we first joined the English Tourist Board and asked for an assessment, we were awarded a grading of four diamonds and a year later we received the same accolade with a Highly Commended citation.
The tourist industry, as a whole, then harmonised their grading symbols to Stars, and raised their standard of quality. Our skills and quality also improved and helped us to achieve a five-star grading.
After a couple of years the 5-Stars were complemented by a Silver Award”.
They added: We then set our sights on Gold Award but soon realised that this new goal would mean a quantum leap in service delivery.
After three years of improvements and a major refurbishment, we have now achieved the five-star grading and Gold Award as well as receiving a Breakfast Award and are thrilled and delighted that our investment and efforts have been supremely recognized’.
The Mitchells were born in Chester and have been providing overnight stays in the historic city for visitors from across the world for nearly 30 years.
Their property dates from the 1850s and has been restored to its Victorian splendour, although all the modern comforts required by 21st century travellers have been incorporated in its facilities.
Colin and Helen said: “We love welcoming visitors to Chester and providing them with the best possible accommodation during their stay in the city. We really enjoy giving advice about places to visit and where to eat and make effort to ensure visitors enjoy their stay here and recommend the city to their family and friends.”
