LUXURY self-catered holiday homes in Helsby are celebrating another success following this year’s Visit Chester & Cheshire Annual Awards.
Popular Lower Rake Lane destination was named Self Catering Holiday of the Year by tourism management team Visit Chester & Cheshire.
Roger Maher, who runs the 200-year-old converted farmhouse and stable block with his wife Jill, said: “We always believed that Helsby’s unique rural location so close to Manchester, Liverpool and eight minutes from Chester, could be successfully combined with really high-quality accommodation.
“That was the ‘dream’ we set out to turn into reality at The Courtyard and now, even at this early stage in our business life, we are already getting repeat bookings for our cottages from customers all around the world. It’s turning The Courtyard into a mini League of Nations!
“It was a real thrill to win the award, especially after the lengthy judging process which involved a mystery shopper and searching examination by independent experts. We are absolutely delighted.”
The prize was awarded for the vision and imagination shown by the Mahers, who started the self-catering business three years ago and became the first in Cheshire to win a 5-star Gold accreditation from Visit Britain.
The winners received their awards from BBC news presenter Ranvir Singh at a glittering ceremony at Chester Racecourse. Ranvir added: “Demonstrating true excellence in all areas is essential for a business to keep ahead of the competition”
The awards were supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Trinity Mirror, Virgin Trains, Bank of America, DTM Legal, Prodo and the Environment Agency.
