Entries for the 2018 Boutique Hotel Guest Experience (BoHo) Awards are now officially open. Any boutique, lifestyle or hybrid hotel in the UK or internationally can enter, and the awards are judged by the people that matter most – real guests.
The BoHos are the product of a partnership between leading online hotel news and networking resource Boutique Hotel News, guest intelligence software provider GuestRevu and world-renowned hospitality management institution Glion Institute of Higher Education.
Using guest feedback and verified online reviews as the basis for scoring, the BoHos will reward the boutique, lifestyle and hybrid hotels who provide the very best in guest experience, attention to detail and overall level of service.
“There are many awards out there that are given based on the opinions of panellists who have never stayed at the hotels, and guest feedback is giving little consideration, if any,” says Alex Horsfall, Director of 2017 shortlisted property, The Valley Cottages. “It’s refreshing that the Boho Awards give the awards based on actual guest feedback, which is of course the most important and best indicator of the quality of the hotels.”
Once entries for the 2018 awards have been finalised, a three-month period of data collection will commence, where each property’s verified online reviews and direct feedback from guests will be collected and handed over to impartial academics at Glion, who will then independently collate, assess and analyse the data, and decide upon the results.
“When it all comes down to it, our guests are the judges that really matter,” says Helen Blower, Estate Manager at Raithwaite Estate, one of 2017’s winning establishments. “As a team we dedicate ourselves to ensuring that everyone who stays with us, comes to the spa, joins us for a conference or dines with us, has the very best possible experience and this award is a testament to that.”
“It’s refreshing that the Boho Awards give the awards based on actual guest feedback, which is of course the most important and best indicator of the quality of the hotels.” – Alex Horsfall, Director, The Valley Cottages.
“The participants in the 2017 awards found them to be hugely valuable and insightful,” says GuestRevu co-founder, Francine Heywood. “Both previous entrants and industry experts tell us that being judged by people who are at the heart of your business – your guests – is what makes the BoHos unique and is the key reason behind their success. We’re delighted to provide the technology for hotels who don’t already have a guest feedback solution in place and, following the success of last year’s awards, we are looking forward to having even more entries this year.”
Piers Brown, CEO of International Hospitality Media (which owns Boutique Hotel News) is likewise looking forward to enthusiastic industry participation. “We were very encouraged by the industry’s reaction to the inaugural BoHos, from the number of entries through to the obvious delight of the winners,” said Piers. “The fact that the awards are judged on guest feedback means that every single member of staff at the winning properties has played their part in their success. Running a great hotel is very much a team effort, and winning a BoHo is fantastic recognition for every team member, in every department. We’re really looking forward to a bumper entry for the 2018 BoHos and to celebrating the properties that provide the greatest guest experiences around the globe.”
“We have also got new insights into our own guests during the BoHos, and we have really looked at how we can improve on every level.” – Steven Quick, Group General Manager at Hogarths Hotel & Restaurant
Awards will go to overall winners, as well as winners in categories split up by location (city or country & coastal) and size (10 – 20 rooms, 21 – 50 rooms and 51+ rooms) and are open to any UK or international boutique, lifestyle or hybrid hotel. To enter, hotels need to have a system in place to collect the necessary verified guest reviews and feedback. If they don't currently have a solution, GuestRevu is offering use of their software to entrants for the duration of the data collection period.
“The BoHos really are a great initiative as it's great to be able to be recognised for the daily hard work we put into the job,” said Steven Quick, Group General Manager at Hogarths Hotel & Restaurant, which was shortlisted in 2017, and did not previously have an online system in place for collection guest intelligence. “We have also got new insights into our own guests during the BoHos, and we have really looked at how we can improve on every level. We believe it is very important for hotels to be managing their guest feedback, as guests are key to everything we do, with genuine feedback we can only improve our standards and quality to a much higher level.”
Entries for the 2018 BoHos close on 19 January 2018, and data collection will run from 20 January to 20 April 2018. The winners will then be announced at the awards ceremony held on the evening of 21 May 2018, during day one of the Boutique and Lifestyle Hotel Summit in London. For more details, please visit The BoHo Awards website.
UPDATE: Winners for the BoHo Awards 2018 have been announced. For details about the Award ceremony, great guest insights and so much more, see our blog on the subject.
