Edgar House in Chester was judged the best small hotel worldwide in TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards. Features include a mini-cinema serving popcorn and ice cream and an honesty bar inside a refurbished phone box. It beat other small hotels in New Zealand, Australia, Costa Rica and the Italian island of Capri to the title. It was up against idyllic tropical hideaways and exclusive villas, but a modest-looking hotel in Chester has been voted the best in the world. Seven-bedroom Edgar House was judged the number one small hotel worldwide by members of internet review site TripAdvisor in its annual travellers’ choice awards. The boutique bolthole, which is perched on the city’s ancient walls overlooking the River Dee, opened less than three years ago in a grand Georgian house, but has already won a string of accolades. Of more than 400 reviews posted on the popular – but controversial – reviews site, all but three have rated it ‘excellent’. (The remainder settled for ‘very good’). Having had a £400,000 makeover, it boasts individually designed rooms, free-standing baths, a mini-cinema serving popcorn and ice cream and an honesty bar inside a phone box. Rooms start from £169 per night – but it does not cater for children under 14 and is described as ‘designed for adults’. Happy guests include former 007 Sir Roger Moore, who visited last year with his wife Kristina and later thanked the owners on Twitter for his ‘very pleasant stay’. Hotel guide Alastair Sawday’s describes Edgar House as a ‘super cool bolthole with a position that’s hard to beat, Chester’s equivalent of the royal box’. It beat the globe’s most exclusive hotels with fewer than 30 rooms, including The Place luxury villas on the Thai island of Ko Tao and the intimate La Minerva on the Italian resort of Capri. Edgar House co-owner Mike Stephen, who runs it with partner Tim Mills, said: 'We are over the moon to be recognised by TripAdvisor as a 2016 Travellers' Choice Awards winner. 'To be named the number one small hotel in the world is an incredible honour and we can't find the words to say how thrilled and humbled we are. 'We'd like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all of our team and, of course, to the wonderful hotel and restaurant guests for supporting us.' James Kay, of TripAdvisor, said: 'These awards are based on guest feedback gathered throughout the year, so what sets the winners apart is not just a high standard of service and accommodation, but that they deliver this day in, day out. 'There are nearly one million hotels and B&Bs; listed on TripAdvisor worldwide, so the fact that the UK is home to so many winning properties speaks volumes for the quality and competitiveness of UK hospitality.' Other UK winners include South Lodge guest house, in Bridlington, Lincolnshire, which was named the seventh best B&B; in the world. Blackpool had two hotels named among the best worldwide, the North Ocean and the Queens Promenade. The other small hotels in the top 10 are: The Pillars Retreat, Taupo, New Zealand; Saffire Freycinet, Coles Bay, Australia; Nayara Springs, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica; The Place Luxury Boutique Villas, Ko Tao, Thailand; La Minerva, Capri, Italy; The Old Rectory Hotel, Martinhoe, United Kingdom; Riad Kheirredine, Marrakech, Morocco; Spirit of the Knights Boutique Hotel, Rhodes Town, Greece and The Dairy Private Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand.

• published: 24 Jan 2016
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