Tourism NI has commended a leading B&B situated on the Causeway Coastal Route for its achievements in quality and customer care.
In addition to its five-star quality rating from Tourism NI, held since 2011, Crowfield Country House has been awarded a host of accolades in the four years it has been operating.
They include excellence awards from TripAdvisor and hotels.com for 2015, as well as a 2014 Excellence Award from booking.com.
Owned and run by Sam and Patricia Ferguson, the luxury property is one of only five Northern Ireland B&Bs to hold a five-star quality rating.
The couple previously owned and ran four-star hotels in Scotland and have used their experience to create a relaxing space in a quiet countryside location on the banks of the River Rhee near Coleraine.
Their accommodation features a series of beautiful en-suite rooms with all the amenities expected in a small luxury B&B, including flat screen TVs in each guest room and free wireless internet access.
As part of its quality grading assessment the B&B receives an incognito overnight visit from a Tourism NI Quality Advisor every year to ensure that the high standards are maintained. At the last overnight assessment, levels of hospitality and service were found to be exceptional, from the initial booking right through to departure.
Caroline Adams, Tourism NI Quality and Standards Manager, said: “The Fergusons are simply exemplary B&B proprietors and are to be heartily congratulated for their strong commitment to quality, customer service and the delivery of exceptionally high standards to their guests.”
“Our Quality Grading Scheme supports them both in maintaining and promoting their five-star standards, and, importantly, it provides an objective assessment of an accommodation’s level of quality, cleanliness and customer care. This is distinct from quality ratings on user-generated review sites, with can be highly subjective.”
Crowfield House proprietor, Sam Ferguson said: “It is very pleasing to have our quality acknowledged by Tourism NI. Our success is based on a combination of several key points. The extensive marketing of Northern Ireland by Tourism NI and other bodies has helped enormously. But the most important thing is our approach to our guests. We try to make them feel totally comfortable and at home while being attentive to their needs, but without being intrusive.”
A Tourism NI five-star rating indicates that an accommodation of an ‘outstanding’ or ‘exceptional’ standard.