You'd better sit down for this one!
No - we mean it - we've got so much to tell you that you should stick the kettle on and take a break for ten minutes whilst you catch up with all the news from Torquay. Before we start telling you all our fabulous news, on a sad note, we'd just like to pay homage to Torquay's most famous waiter Manuel in Fawlty Towers aka Andrew Sachs who died earlier this month. His famous character made so many people laugh and will continue to for many years to come. We are just glad the standard of accommodation and customer service has improved considerably in Torquay over the last forty years! It's been a manic summer and we were pretty much 100% occupied throughout the main season. We already have bookings up to the end of next August so get your skates on and book up if you're thinking of staying with us during 2017. We only open for two more weekends in December then we're closed until the end of January (we are advertising some last minute availability including single nights with discounts up to 20%). During this time we'll be ticking lots of little jobs off our to do list and can you believe that five out of the six rooms are getting a refresh? We've got more news about our upgrading plans later.
The 25 has won several awards over the last few months too so we'll tell you all about this as well. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the new year. Andy, Julian & Patsy.
WINTER UPGRADES
We've got a long list of things to keep us busy over the winter. Those of you who've visited in the last few months will know that we've already replaced all our bedding and have lovely duvets and pillows from The Fine Bedding Company which one guest described as "sleeping on a marsh mallow". We've also upgraded the thickness of our super soft towels. We're upgrading the bedrooms so that they all now have an iPad as well as a Nespresso coffee maker as standard. Those of you that have experienced our lovely hot weather in Torquay last summer will be pleased to hear that the Oddicombe and Goodrington rooms are getting air conditioning to keep you comfortable whatever time of year you visit. The Oddicombe Room has already had its furniture painted for a more funky look and the bathroom is having a new sink, heated mirror and new flooring over winter. We're having a hanging rail made by Rex Latham Blacksmiths in Cockington for the Goodrington Room so that we can remove the wardrobe and fit in more comfortable seating. This room now has new look furniture too. Broadsands is getting a huge new feature headboard with mood lighting, a sumptuous new super king bed, along with all new furniture and chairs. We're keeping with the popular silver and purple theme but adding a bit more sparkle (literally!). Julian has also been upgrading the IT infrastructure to ensure our Wi-Fi and streaming services are better than ever so you can enjoy movies and catch-up TV on the extra large Samsung Smart TVs now in every room. Several other improvements will also be taking place to make sure your stay with us is a fabulous one. Keep an eye on our social media for updates as we do things. If you don't already follow us, what are you waiting for?
Awards, awards, awards! You'll have seen in our last mailing that we won both Gold in the category of Best B&B in South Devon, as well as Tourism & Hospitality Business of the Year in the South Devon Tourism Awards. Since then, we've been on something of a roll and we're absolutely thrilled to announce the following accolades: We won Silver for B&B of the Year at the Visit Devon awards in November. The 25 is a Finalist in the South West England Tourism Excellence Awards 2016/17 (winners announced Feb 2017). Although we didn't win the Hilden Style Awards, being in the last three nationally was a great honour. Our tasty breakfasts have just won the national award for Great British Breakfast 2016! Visit England have given us a ROSE award in recognition of our service excellence. We've been nominated for the Visit England national tourism awards and are waiting to see if we're finalists. And finally, we've just found out that we've won Luxury Boutique Hotel of the Year in Devon for the second year running in the Luxury Travel Guide European Awards. It means the world to us that we're doing so well. As you know, we work our little socks off to make sure everything is perfect and to ensure you all have a great time whilst you stay with us and to be recognised for all our hard work is lovely. Please tell your friends and family about us and we hope to see you all soon!
OFFERS! GRINIGOG FESTIVAL - Want to go to the Grinigog Festival 7th-9th April? Book a minimum three night stay in a luxury room that weekend and we'll refund the cost of early bird tickets - £25 each for both of you so it's absolutely FREE to attend! To save £50 book now & mention "Grinigog Offer" in the Comments box and we'll knock it off your bill on check out. VOUCHERS - If you buy a gift voucher before Christmas, we'll offer you a 10% discount. For instance, pay just £90 and receive a voucher for £100. Call us now to arrange one. Valid for twelve months. VALENTINES - If you've already been organised and sorted Christmas, why not arrange something lovely for Valentines? Book a stay with us between 10th & 19th February and get 10% off a two night stay, 15% off a three night stay and 20% off a four night stay! Book on our own website and mention "Feb Offer" in the Comments box and we'll apply the discount manually. Why not make your stay even more special? Here's some ideas like champagne and chocolates. Only available at: www.the25.uk