Sawday's 20th Anniversary Awards - Hotel of the Year, Langar Hall

Not long after we first started celebrating special B&Bs, we gathered together our collection of hotelsthose that had survived the onslaught of mass tourism. We published our first guide in 1999 and things haven’t changed much since then: we still have no rating system, we still favour people over facilities, we still strive for a rich variety of hotels we genuinely like. Of course, this made choosing just one ‘Hotel of the Year’ quite tricky, but we think we’ve found somewhere unusual in its willingness to bend the rules about how hotels are run. 

Our judges were looking for somewhere that demonstrates a strong personality of its own, defying the ‘me too’ approach of so many hotels. It should demonstrate that rare, effortless and fun approach to its customers – not contrived, besuited or stiff (not achingly and intentionally hip) but authentic, human and deeply personal. The food, where it is a central part of the experience, should show a commitment to local, seasonal and – where possible – organic, and should demonstrate originality. 

Langar Hall

Langar, Nottingham, England

A very special family hotel with a strong personality of its own, lovely staff, pretty rooms and heavenly food served in a pillared dining room. The house sits at the top of a hardly noticeable hill in glorious parkland, bang next door to the church. Imo's family came 150 years ago, building on the site of Admiral Lord Howe's burned-down home. Much of what fills the house arrived then and it's easy to feel intoxicated by beautiful things: statues and busts, a pillared dining room, ancient tomes in overflowing bookshelves, an eclectic collection of oil paintings. Heavenly food is a big treat, perhaps wild garlic soup, local venison, pistachio soufflé with lemon sorbet.

“Langar delivers exactly what people want from a country house hotel. You want to feel special, and you want to feel special in beautiful surroundings - with a bit of luxury thrown in for good measure.”

Alastair Sawday

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