2015 Results
Winners and runners-up in the Group Travel Awards 2015
Places you visit – attractions and destinations
Best attraction for groups
Winner: Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes
Runner-up: The View from the Shard, London
Albert Dock, Liverpool
Black Country Living Museum, Dudley
Coca-Cola London Eye
Eden Project, Cornwall
Houses of Parliament, London
The London Bridge Experience
Best historical house and/or garden for groups
Winner: Longleat House, Wiltshire
Runner-up: Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Buckingham Palace, London
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire
Dunham Massey Gardens, Altrincham
Hampton Court Palace, Surrey
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Best animal or sea life attraction
Winner: West Midlands Safari & Leisure Park, Worcestershire
Runner-up: Paignton Zoo Enviromental Park, Devon
Chester Zoo, Cheshire
Howletts Wild Animal Park, Kent
Longleat Safari & Adventure Park, Wiltshire
National SEA LIFE Centre, Birmingham
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Doncaster
ZSL London Zoo
Best family day out
Winner: Thorpe Park Resort, Surrey
Runner-up: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter
Alton Towers, Staffordshire
Cadbury World, Birmingham
Cardiff Castle
Drayton Manor Theme Park, Staffordshire
Legoland Windsor Resort
Paultons Park, Hampshire
Best overseas attraction for groups
Winner: Disneyland Paris, France
Runner-up: In Flanders Fields Museum, Belgium
Autostadt, Germany
Imhoff Schokoladenmuseum, Germany
Keukenhof Gardens, Holland
La Coupole, France
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Best UK destination for groups
Winner: York
Runner-up: Bournemouth
Bristol
Essex
Kent
Liverpool
London
Stoke-on-Trent
Best overseas destination for groups
Winner: Germany
Runner-up: Jersey
Amsterdam
Austria
Belgium
Ireland
Jersey
Malta
Best shopping venue or destination for groups
Winner: Westfield Stratford City, London
Runner-up: The Trafford Centre, Manchester
Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet
London
Meadowhall Centre, Sheffield
The Bull Ring, Birmingham
The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol
Best West End production
Winner: Jersey Boys
Runner-up: The Lion King
Les Misérables
Mamma Mia!
Matilda the Musical
Miss Saigon
The Phantom of the Opera
War Horse
Best regional production
Winner: CATS
Runner-up: Wicked
Annie Get Your Gun
Barnum The Musical
Singin’ in the Rain
The Mousetrap
Top Hat
War Horse
Best event for groups
Winner: Royal Ascot
Runner-up: BBC Gardeners’ World Live
Bath Christmas Market
Ideal Home Show
Manchester Christmas Markets
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2014
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Thursford Christmas Spectacular
Best canal or riverboat operator for groups
Winner: City Cruises, London
Runner-up: Trent River Cruises, Nottingham
Canterbury River Tours
Dudley Canal Trust Trips
French Brothers, Windsor
Mersey Ferries, Merseyside
Skipton Boat Trips
Thames River Services, London
Best ocean cruise line operator for groups
Winner: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Runner-up: Royal Caribbean
Celebrity Cruises
Cruise & Maritime Voyages
Hurtigruten
Norwegian Cruise Line
P&O Cruises
SAGA
Best european riverboat operator for groups
Winner: The River Cruise Line
Runner-up: CroisiEurope
AMA Waterways
Avalon Waterways
Lueftner River Cruises
Viking River Cruises
Best preserved railway for groups
Winner: Severn Valley Railway, Worcestershire
Runner-up: West Somerset Railway
Bluebell Railway, East Sussex
Dartmouth Steam Railway, Devon
Ffestiniog Railway, Wales
Isle of Wight Steam Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Swanage Steam Railway, Dorset
Where you stay - accommodation
Most Group-Friendly Hotel Chain or Group
Winner: Daish’s Hotel Group
Runner-up: Warner Leisure Hotels
Abacus Hotels
Best Western Hotels
Britannia Hotels
Hilton Hotels and Resorts
Marriot Hotels
Mercure
Best Individual Hotel for Groups
Winner: Preston Sands Hotel, Paignton
Runner-up: St Kilda Hotel, Llandudno
Cricket St. Thomas Hotel, Somerset (Warner Leisure Hotels)
Four Oaks Hotel, Llandudno
The George Hotel, Norwich (Best Western)
The Rendezvous Hotel, Skipton
Thoresby Hal Hotel, Nottinghamshire (Warner Leisure Hotels)
Tynedale Hotel, Llandudno
Best University Accommodation for Groups
Winner: University of Kent, Canterbury
Runner-up: University of Leicester
Canterbury Christ Church University
Cardiff University
St Aidan’s College at Durham University
University of Essex
University of Exeter
University of Leeds
Best Holiday Park for Groups
Winner: Mill Rythe Holiday Village, Hayling Island (Away Resorts)
Runner-up: Potters Leisure Resort, Norfolk
Butlins Bognor Regis, West Sussex
Looe Bay Holiday Park, Cornwall (Parkdean)
Norton Grange Coastal Village, Isle of Wight (Warner Leisure Hotels)
Sand Bay Holiday Park, Weston-super-Mare (Pontins)
How you get there – Transport
Best Coach Operator: Small Fleet
Winner: Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company, East Sussex
Runner-up: Platinum Express, Wolverhampton
Best Coach Operator: Large Fleet
Winner: Edwards Coaches, Pontypridd
Runner-up: Lucketts Travel, Fareham
Baker’s Dolphin, Weston-super-Mare
Chiltern Travel, Ilford
Daish’s Holidays, Torquay
Epsom Coaches, Surrey
Excelsior Coaches, Bournemouth
Galloway European Coachlines, Stowmarket
Glenton Palmer, Normanton
Harry Shaw, Coventry
Johnsons, Henley-in-Arden
Reading & Wokingham Coaches
Redwing Coaches, London
Richmond’s Coaches, Barley
Best Sea Crossing Operator for Groups
Winner: Eurotunnel
Runner-up: Wightlink
Brittany Ferries
DFDS Seaways
Eurostar
P&O Ferries
Red Funnel
Best Airline for Groups
Winner: Jet2
Runner-up: British Airways
Air Malta
easyJet
Emirates
Flybe
Thomson
Virgin Atlantic
Best Railway Operator for Groups
Winner: Virgin Trains
Runner-up: Eurostar
Arriva Train Wales
CrossCountry
East Coast Trains
First Great Western
Southeastern
South West Trains
Help & assistance - Group facilities & information
Best Company or Venue Offering Guided Tours
Winner: Houses of Parliament, London
Runner-up: City & Village Tours
BBC at MediaCity, Salford
Big Bus Tours, London
Buckingham Palace, London
Canterbury Guided Tours
Coronation Street The Tour, Manchester
Leeds Castle, Kent
Manchester United Museum & Tour
Best Group Dining Experience
Winner: Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Runner-up: Planet Hollywood, London
Bateaux London
Event House, Worcester
Hard Rock Café, London
Leeds Castle, Kent
Rainforest Café, London
The Savill Garden, Windsor
Best Information Product for Groups website or printed
Winner: English Heritage Group Visits Guide 2014/2015
Runner-up: www.brightwaterholidays.com
City & Village Tours Brochure
Group Line Brochure
The National Trusts Group Guide 2014
Travelsphere Escorted Holiday Collection 2014/15
Visit Cardiff: Cardiff The Essential Guide
www.daishs.com
www.tlh.co.uk
Best Group Ticketing Agency
Winner: Group Line
Runner-up: Encore Tickets
Delfont Mackintosh Theatres Groups
Group Line / ATG Tickets
SEE Groups
The Ticket Factory
Ticketmaster
Best Group Tour Operator
Winner: Airedale Tours, West Yorkshire
Runner-up: IOW Tours, Isle of Wight
Dunwood Travel
Greatdays Travel Group, Cheshire
InterChoice Holidays, Wolverhampton
Success Tours, Wiltshire
Tailored Travel, London
The Travel Adventure, East Sussex
Travelsphere, Leicestershire
Outstanding Contribution to Group Travel by an Individual
Adrian Gates
Editor’s Award for Innovation in Tourism
Lincoln Castle Revealed
The Little Treasures Award
Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, Melton Mowbray
The Development of Incoming Group Visitors to the UK
Roy Graff