Gravetye Manor, The Good Hotel GuideThe Good Hotel Guide: Great Britain and Ireland is one of the few guides that can claim to be wholly independent, with hotels included chosen purely on merit. And that means that its annual César awards, announced today, really are an indication of excellence. Here is a selection of this year’s worthy winners, together with the guide’s comments:

Country House Hotel of the Year: Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead, West Sussex 

The Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house (above) has 17 bedrooms and is set in impeccable gardens in the Sussex countryside. Rising star and resident chef George Blogg’s Michelin-starred dishes draw inspiration from the vast kitchen garden.  Inn of the Year: The NoBody Inn, Doddiscombsleigh, Devon 

Tucked away between the Haldon Hills and the Teign Valley, just six miles from Exeter, this atmospheric and much-loved village pub features blackened beams and an inglenook fireplace. The varied menu is complemented by an extensive range of wine, whisky and local cider. Seaside Hotel of the Year: Hell Bay Hotel, Bryher, Scilly Isles 

With many bedrooms boasting sweeping views of the Atlantic, Hell Bay Hotel has a much-deserved reputation as a chic coastal retreat.   The restaurant uses the very best fresh ingredients and the seasonal Crab Shack serves three seafood dishes daily.. Scottish Hotel of the Year: The Cross at Kingussie, Kingussie, Scottish Highlands 

A former tweed mill set in the Cairngorms National Park, The Cross is set beside the River Gynack and has a high-quality restaurant with a riverside terrace, eight cosy bedrooms and lounges with log fires and board games. Restaurant-With-Rooms of the Year: The Hardwick, Abergavenny, Wales

Provenance is everything at this friendly restaurant with rooms – local Wye Valley produce is served bang on season and bedrooms come equipped with cosy Welsh blankets. 

For a full list of the César award-winners, visit The Good Hotel Guide’s website.

BY MAGGIE O’SULLIVAN