We are delighted to announce that Eden Hotel Collection has been named Best Employer at The Springboard Awards For Excellence 2025, which recognises individuals’ and organisations’ innovation and commitment to their teams, communities and the wider industry.

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Following the award win, judges described our dedication to employee engagement “as a true exemplar of excellence in the hospitality industry,” as we “demonstrated a remarkable commitment to nurturing and developing their team members.”

Our award win comes off the back of a year that has seen its 90-day retention rate average 97 per cent, with overall retention rate of the company’s 550-strong workforce up by 28 per cent – which is its strongest increase since 2018.

This has resulted in vacancies decreasing by 68 per cent year-on-year, with the time taken to screen and interview candidates on average taking less than seven days.

Nearly 50 employees have also completed an apprenticeship or leadership programme in the past year, while more than 70 were promoted.

The improvements have been driven by key initiatives that have been developed based on colleague feedback to aid their wellbeing, including the introduction of Wagestream for early access to earned wages, through to a science-backed reward and recognition system called the Happy Hub to boost feel-good hormones.

Elsewhere, Eden has invested £1.5 million in purchasing a 15-cottage complex for staff accommodation at Bovey Castle; while an enhanced employee referral programme has been introduced where existing team members can earn up to £1,000 for each successful referral they make.

Eden’s latest Springboard award win follows victories in the same awards in the previous two years where they collected the Employee Engagement and Health & Wellbeing categories in 2024, and Best Training Programme in 2023.

Lisa Redding, Group People Director at Eden Hotel Collection, said: "Finding and keeping the right talent in hospitality – especially in the boutique hotel sector – is more competitive than ever. That’s why this award means so much to us. It reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a workplace where our people feel valued, supported, and able to thrive.”

Mark Chambers, Managing Director at Eden Hotel Collection, added: “As a business, we’re not just focused on retaining great talent – we’re dedicated to helping our team grow into the next generation of hospitality leaders.

“Developing our people and our properties is a key part of our ongoing growth, and we are starting to reap the rewards of this as we are forecasting turnover of approximately £18-plus million for the financial year ending March 2025, an increase from £16.9 million from the previous year.

“Ultimately, hospitality is all about people and we’re proud to be recognised as a leader in this space.”

Last year, Eden was also named Small Hotel Group of the Year at the AA Hospitality Awards.

We are proud to announce we have achieved a world-leading certification for our green credentials after a bumper year of sustainability successes – as we strive to become net zero by 2040.

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The Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon has been recognised by Green Tourism – a certification that has been assessing travel, tourism and hospitality businesses’ approaches to sustainability for more than 27 years.

Expert assessors provide certification via bronze, silver and gold gradings, with The Arden Hotel awarded silver, upgrading from bronze in 2023.

Appointing “green champions” at each hotel to strive for a consistent approach to sustainability was key to landing the accreditation.

This has enabled each hotel to engage in and evidence practices across wide-ranging areas such as community engagement, employee health and wellbeing, and customer experiences, through to energy usage, carbon reduction and waste management.

The Arden, part of Eden Hotel Collection – which has five hotels across the Midlands and South West – all of which now operate on 100% renewable energy, while their collective waste last year saw 35.5% directly recycled; with 55% converted into renewable energy and 9.5% anaerobically digested.

Jayne O’Malley, Group Operations Director at Eden Hotel Collection, has worked closely with each hotel and Green Tourism’s assessors to develop the organisation’s green credentials.

Jayne said: “Sustainability is much more than simply adopting environmentally friendly practices. It’s about creating a sustainable business in every sense – from our people and our local community, through to the growth of our own organisation and our supply chain.

“Some of the properties we own and operate date back as far as the 16^th century, but through our commitment to invest in sustainability, they are at the forefront of modern approaches of green hospitality, whether that is through the use of renewable energy, utilising local suppliers, or utilising on-site kitchen gardens for produce or guest experiences.

“Each of our hotels were initially graded by Green Tourism in 2023 with silver or bronze gradings – so to see each hotel making that step up one year on is testament to the commitment that our people have shown to take on board advice from the assessors to make us one of the leading hotel groups in the UK not just for a luxurious stay, but for sustainability too.”

The Green Tourism accolades follow hot on the heels of the Eden Hotel Collection being named by the AA as Small Hotel Group of the Year.

‘Tis the season for giving and the Eden Family are supporting some rather special projects this Christmas. Read more about ours...

This year we are making a donation to the town’s local food bank for every hotel room sold over Christmas. Pledging to donate £10 to Stratford upon Avon Foodbank every time one of their Christmas Experience packages are booked, which runs from Christmas Eve to 27 December.

Sai Nathan, General Manager at The Arden Hotel, revealed the hotel was on track to donate £420 worth of food.

He said: “While we love being able to provide a cosy and picturesque setting for guests to create special Christmas memories, we also know it is a difficult time of year for some, which is why we wanted to do our bit by giving back to those in need in the local community.

“Christmas is always a popular time of year for us, and we have a small number of bedrooms left over this period, so we would urge customers to secure their room sooner rather than later.

“The Christmas Experience package is the ultimate festive gift for those wanting to experience the festive season in quaint settings and explore the birthplace of Shakespeare – while also being able to give back in the process.”

Sarah Crompton from Stratford upon Avon Foodbank, added: “We are so touched by the generosity shown by The Arden Hotel in donating to us every time guests book their Christmas Experience package. We are in desperate need of food donations and monetary support, as we approach our busiest period.

We couldn’t manage without the support of local businesses, and it is wonderful to be working in partnership with The Arden Hotel to make sure we fight against hunger and poverty locally.  We want to ensure that everyone can afford life's essentials and end the need for food banks.”

Boutique hotel chain The Eden Hotel Collection has been named Small Hotel Group of the Year for the second time in a decade at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards.

Eden – which has five hotels across the West Midlands and South West – was recognised for its consistency in quality and service delivery, and for the excellent work around its employee experience, as well as their broader efforts in tackling sustainability.

With nearly 900 guests, the AA Hospitality Awards highlight the very best in British hospitality, honouring achievements across fifteen categories – reflecting the industry’s commitment to innovation, quality and environmental responsibility.

Eden’s award win follows a year that has seen the business invest more than £3 million in venue refurbishments and colleague welfare initiatives – as well as adopting sustainability projects around food production.

This includes the recent £1.5 million refurbishment of 19 bedrooms at the four red star Mallory Court Hotel and Spa in Leamington, following the completion of £1.4 million worth of refurbishments at The Greenway Hotel and Spa in Cheltenham, which has seen a transformation of 21 bedrooms, communal areas and a new bar.

Investment has also stretched to its 500-strong workforce, including the launch of an app-based employee recognition programme called The Happy Hub, which includes activities that help to promote positive hormones – such as the ability to recognise a colleague with an e-card, an employee of the month initiative, and monetary recognitions for long service.

For guests, Eden is also commencing its “Inspired By” programme which brings to life the story of each hotel’s individual character for visitors, starting with Mallory Court whose ‘Inspired By our Gardens’ initiative sees the hotel’s workforce sharing knowledge with guests about how the hotel’s ten-acre gardens influence every aspect of the visitor experience – from dining through to décor.

The Group’s focus on growing its own produce on-site and utilising local suppliers has also continued to develop – including the introduction of a new kitchen garden at five-star Bovey Castle in Devon following the success of the kitchen garden and its tours at Mallory Court.

This complements the collection’s ability to recycle 100 per cent of its waste, with 30 per cent directly recycled, 50 per cent concerted into renewable energy, and 20 per cent processed by anaerobic digestion.

Alongside Mallory Court, The Greenway and Bovey Castle, The Eden Hotel Collection also operates the four red star Brockencote Hall Hotel in Kidderminster, and the four silver star Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Mark Chambers, Managing Director at The Eden Hotel Collection, said: “The AA Hospitality Awards are the holy grail for any hospitality business, so to be recognised as the best in our field for the second time in a decade is a testament to our people and the consistent delivery of excellence across all of our hotels.

“As a business everything we do feeds into providing the highest possible quality of service – from investing in our facilities, through to helping our people to be the best versions of themselves in terms of their skillsets, but also supporting them with everyday life, too.

“Reputation and recommendations are a key tool for success for any hospitality business, so this latest award win provides a fantastic launchpad for each of our five hotels to build on the great work they are already doing in their communities to attract locals and holidaymakers alike.”

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, expressed his pride in the resilience and creativity shown by the UK’s hospitality sector in 2024: “This incredible celebration is a true testament to the strength and innovation within our industry. The dedication and excellence demonstrated by all the hospitality teams have been nothing short of inspiring. Congratulations to all the winners, nominees, and new Rosette holders for their remarkable contributions.”