Hever Castle’s Awards

Our hard work has been recognised by various organisations this year so we wanted to share the good news with you.

We are immensely proud of the team that make Hever Castle & Gardens such a success. From those you see out in the gardens and Castle, to those typing away in the offices – thank you.

Please read about our recent award wins below.

Best of Bridebook Awards

The Best of Bridebook Awards 2023 showcases UK venues with the most 5-star reviews from 2022.

We are delighted to have won a Gold Award in the Best of Bridebook Awards 2023 in recognition of the high quality service we provide for our couples.

Beautiful South Awards

The Beautiful South Awards recognise achievement in the tourism industry over the last 18 months. We are thrilled to have won awards at this prestigious event.

2022 – Gold Award in the Experience & Event of the Year category for Christmas at Hever Castle

2019 – Gold Award in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category, joint Gold with Blenheim Palace in the Wedding Venue of the Year category and Bronze in the Small Hotel of the Year category

2018 – Bronze Award in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category

2017 – Gold Award in the Boutique Accommodation of the Year category

 

Group Leisure & Travel Awards

The Group Leisure & Travel awards, organised by Group Leisure & Travel magazine, recognise the best attractions, destinations and experiences for groups across the UK.

The awards are voted for by readers of the magazine making it a coveted industry accolade.

For two years running, Hever Castle & Gardens has been named as the winner for best Christmas experience.

2023 – Best Christmas Experience

2022 – Best Christmas Experience

 

Best Heritage Venue at the School Travel Awards

The annual School Travel Awards, organised by School Travel Organiser, recognises inspiring people and the best companies, venues and attractions providing school trips.

During a school visit to Hever Castle, they recommend looking out for the following:

• Two prayer books which belong to Anne Boleyn are on display
• Original timbers can be seen in the early doorway of the Entrance Hall, placed by Thomas Boleyn
• The portcullis which is said to be one of the oldest working portcullises in the country

2023 – finalist in the Best Heritage Venue and Best Venue for History Learning categories

2022 – winner in the Best Heritage Venue category

2021 – winner in the Best Heritage Venue category

National Golf Environment Awards

Hever Castle Golf & Wellbeing was a winner at the 2023 Golf Environment Awards.

The golf club, a mile down the road from Hever Castle & Gardens, beat off competition from St Andrews LinksRoyal Mid-Surrey & Pannal golf clubs to win the Sustainable Project of the Year category at the Golf Environment Awards.

The category is designed to recognise clubs who have successfully put in place a sustainable project to ensure a better environment, with clear goals and objectives.

This is down to Head Greenkeeper Rob Peers’ efforts to sustainably access an extra water supply during increasingly drought hit summers whilst providing a wonderful habit for flora and fauna.

South & South East In Bloom

The South & South East in Bloom is the largest horticultural campaign in the region involving 100’s of communities each year. Participating communities create lasting improvements to their local environment for the benefit of those that live, work and visit.

The South East in Bloom judges said of Hever: “There are probably only a handful of locations of this calibre in the South East or beyond and it is almost impossible to suggest any improvements.”

2023 – Gold Award

2022 – Gold Award for Italian Garden and Rose Garden and best in show for Rose Garden.

2021 – Gold Award, Joint Category Winner, plus an Outstanding Achievement Award for Neil Miller.

2020 & 2018 – Gold Awards

2017 – Gold Award, plus young gardener of the year for Josh Fenn and Horticulture Achievement Award for Neil Miller.

2016 – Gold Award

Find out more about our gardens here.

Stay at Hever Castle

Visit England B&B

Hever Castle’s luxury Bed and Breakfast has maintained its 5* Gold status and a Breakfast award. The accommodation was assessed by Visit England and got a 96% quality score. To gain a 5* rating businesses have to score between 85% and 100% and are marked on bedrooms, bathrooms, cleanliness, hospitality and breakfast.

The Gold award is giving to accommodation which offer the `best of the best’ and the Breakfast Awards recognises breakfasts which exceed guest expectations.

Staff at Hever Castle were praised for offering “an excellent standard of accommodation” with “superior standards of housekeeping.” Visit England said that the bed and breakfast: “comfortably retains the Five Star Guest Accommodation rating.”

Hever Castle’s four bedroom holiday cottage, Medley Cottage also maintained its 5* Gold rating, scoring 94%.

You can find out more information about our Bed and Breakfast on the ‘stay’ section of the website or contact the team on [email protected] / 01732 861800.

best family day out

Best Family Day Out Award at the UK Heritage Awards

Hever Castle & Gardens has been named Best Family Day Out at the UK Heritage Awards.

The childhood home of Anne Boleyn was given the accolade of Best Family Day Out at a prestigious ceremony at Grocers’ Hall in London on Monday 25 March 2019.

Hever Castle beat off competition from Dunvegan Castlethe Alnwick GardenBamburgh Castle and Malvern Hills to be named Best Family Day Out.

The event recognised the country’s heritage industry with a judging panel from across the sector.

Winning Best Family Day Out was a celebration of the regular programme of events throughout the year at Hever Castle with events including jousting and Halloween half term as well as the play areas.

Click here to find out more about the events at Hever Castle to keep your little ones occupied.

We’ve also got three playgroundstwo mazes and plenty of space to run around!

Best Castle Wedding Venue at the UK Wedding Awards

Hever Castle & Gardens has been named best Castle Wedding Venue at the UK Wedding Awards 2019.

The childhood home of Anne Boleyn beat off competition from Amberley CastleClearwell CastleWarwick CastleAugill CastleCulzean CastleDundas CastleFarnham CastleGlenapp CastlePendennis Castle and Rowton Castle to be named best Castle Wedding Venue in the UK.

The UK Wedding Awards is organised by Hitched and You & Your Wedding to recognise the best of the UK wedding industry.

Hever Castle House Manager Roland Smith said: “We are delighted to have been named the best Castle venue at the UK Wedding Awards. The whole team work so hard, offering an extremely high level of customer service to our brides, grooms and guests so have this work acknowledged nationally is amazing.”

You can find out more information about Hever Castle as a wedding venue on the ‘weddings’ section of the website or contact the team on [email protected] / 01732 861800.

Best Castle Wedding Venue at the British Wedding Awards

Hever Castle & Gardens has been named best Castle Wedding Venue at the British Wedding Awards.

The childhood home of Anne Boleyn was given the top accolade at the black tie event at the Royal Horseguards and One Whitehall Place in London on Thursday 21 February 2019. Warwick Castle was highly commended.

The awards, which are in their 11th year, are voted for by brides. They were created to champion excellence in all things bridal; from stationery to shoes, dresses to destinations.

Hever Castle House Manager Roland Smith said: “We are thrilled to have been named the best Castle wedding venue in the country by our customers. Our staff work tirelessly to offer an extremely high level of customer service to our bridal parties and their guests so to have this hard work celebrated nationally is fantastic.”

You can find out more information about Hever Castle as a wedding venue on the ‘weddings’ section of the website or contact the team on [email protected] / 01732 861800.

hever castle

TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Hever Castle & Gardens in Kent has been awarded a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence as both a Visitor Attraction and for its Luxury Bed & Breakfast accommodation for the fifth year running. The achievement celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. Certificate of Excellence recipients include accommodation, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience.

The Certificate of Excellence is based on reviews submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

As Hever Castle & Gardens and the Bed and Breakfast has received the Certificate of Excellence every year for the past five years it has also qualified for the Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame.

Discover more about visiting Hever Castle here.

You can also find out more information about our Bed and Breakfast on the ‘stay’ section of the website or contact the team on [email protected] / 01732 861800.

Family Traveller Excellence Awards

Hever Castle & Gardens was among the top 50 travel experiences and attractions to take away an accolade at the 2019 Family Traveller Excellence Awards.

The childhood home of Anne Boleyn beat off competition from Santa’s LaplandShangri-La, SingaporeDubai Parks & Resorts and Camp Bestival to be voted top in the Pure Fun award.

The historic attraction impressed with its varied calendar of events and facilities for children such as the exciting Tudor Towers adventure playground and natural Acorn Dell play area as well as the captivating Miniature Model Houses exhibition.

The Family Traveller Excellence Awards underwent a makeover this year, moving away from the traditional set award categories such as best hotel for families to adapt to the emerging and changing travel trends of British families.

Over 110,000 votes were cast by Family Traveller readers and subscribers to find the 50 Excellence Award Winners.

B&B Visit England Award

Silver at the Visit England Awards for Excellence

Our luxury 5* Bed and Breakfast scooped silver in Boutique Guest Accommodation of the Year at the 2018 Visit England Awards.

The luxury accommodation was pipped to the Gold spot by Yorebridge House in North Yorkshire. Cary Arms & Spa in Devon won bronze.

As a result of winning Gold at the Beautiful South Awards in 2017, Hever Castle was eligible to enter the national Visit England Awards.

Astor Wing Manager, Roland Smith said: “We are delighted that Hever Castle’s bed and breakfast is recognised as being in the top three in the country. We pride ourselves on our excellent service and it is testament to the hard work of all our staff.”

You can find out more information about our Bed and Breakfast on the ‘stay’ section of the website or contact the team on [email protected] / 01732 861800.

autumn colour walks

Finalist in the School Travel Awards

Hever Castle & Gardens was a finalist in the 2019 School Travel Awards for the category Best Venue for History Learning!

Hever Castle offers a range of different school trips for UK and overseas students and provides a stimulating opportunity for learning outside the classroom.

A dedicated Group Visits Coordinator is available to talk through the best type of visit to suit class learning objectives and budget.

Click here to discover more about Hever Castle as an educational trip.

luxury holiday cottage

VisitEngland Rose Award for Medley Court

Hever Castle’s luxury holiday cottage, Medley Court, is one of the top places to stay in the UK, according to VisitEngland.

The 5* four bedroom house was named as a recipient of the annual ROSE award in 2018.

The fourth annual award recognises the owners, management and employees of establishments that go the extra mile in order to provide excellent customer service. The award can only be won once and features just 100 accommodation providers a year.

Hever Castle House Manager Roland Smith said: “We are delighted that our excellent service has been recognised with the VisitEngland Rose Award. It is testament to the hard work of the whole team in consistently providing a warm welcome to visitors to the luxury holiday cottage, Medley Court.”

Find out more about the luxury holiday cottage here. To speak to a member of our team about staying at Medley Court, please call 01732 861800 or email [email protected]

National Venue Awards - Best Wedding Venue

Best Wedding Venue at the National Venue Awards

Hever Castle & Gardens were named Best Wedding Venue at the inaugural 2018 National Venue Awards.

Nominees for the Best Wedding Venue category included Blenheim PalaceLuton Hoo Hotel, Golf & SpaMottram HallWaldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian and Whittlebury Hall Hotel & Spa, making the win for Hever Castle even more prestigious.

Be it the stately grandeur of the Castle itself, the country house atmosphere of the Astor Wing, or the stunning lakeside location of the Guthrie Pavilion, Hever Castle offers a dream-come-true location for your special day. Intimate gatherings, exuberant parties and outdoor weddings are all catered for.

You can find out more information about Hever Castle as a wedding venue on the ‘weddings’ section of the website or contact the team on [email protected] / 01732 861800.

The Muddy Stilettos Award

Hever Castle was crowned Kent’s Best Family Attraction in the 2023 Muddy Stilettos Awards.

Hever Castle’s luxury 5* Bed & Breakfast was named Best Boutique Stay in Kent at The Muddy Stilettos Awards 2018. The awards ceremony was held at the charming Chapel Down in Tenterden and involved numerous other local businesses being awarded for their hard work.

Hever Castle’s Bed & Breakfast was also named a finalist in The Muddy Stilettos Awards 2019.

These awards are voted for by the public so a huge thank you goes out to everyone who voted for us!

SO award

Winner at SO Lifestyle Awards

Hever Castle & Gardens won the award for the ‘most fun family day out’ at the annual SO Lifestyle Awards 2018. Over 20,000 votes were cast so we feel incredibly honoured to have won this local award.

Click here to find out more about the events at Hever Castle to keep your little ones occupied.

We’ve also got three playgroundstwo mazes and plenty of space to run around!

Groups at Hever Castle

Finalist at the Group Travel Awards

Hever Castle & Gardens was recently named a finalist in the ‘Best Historic House or Garden for Groups’ category at The 2018 Group Travel Awards.

At the awards ceremony on Friday 1 June, we were pipped to the post by winner Blenheim Palace and runner up Hampton Court Palace. However, we were truly overjoyed that readers of GTO magazine voted for Hever Castle as a top place for groups to visit.

The Group Travel Awards are a highlight of the group travel industry’s year and an acknowledgement of the importance of group travel to tourism.

Whether you are a group travel organiser, a teacher, or member of the travel trade planning trips and tours in Kent, there is a selection of experiences and packages to suit the interests and needs of groups and schools alike.

We have a dedicated member of staff who will assist you with your planning and will guide you every step of the way to ensure that your group visit is a memorable one.

Find out more about our group packages here.

tulips at Hever Castle

Finalist at the Keiba Awards

The KEiBA Awards are “staged and produced by KM Media Group and Kent County Council to recognise and reward excellence in businesses in Kent and Medway.” Hever Castle & Gardens was named a finalist in the 2018 ‘Tourism & Leisure Business of the year.’

Other finalists included Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park and Biddenden Vineyards.

The category was judged by Mark Anderson, Head of Marketing at Southeastern rail.

Discover more about visiting Hever Castle here.

Hever Castle, Kent

Finalist at the Times of Tunbridge Wells Award

We were shortlisted as a finalist in the Times of Tunbridge Wells Business Awards 2018 in the Best Business 25+ category.

Discover more about visiting Hever Castle here.

Garden Award

Champions of Perennial

Hever Castle has been awarded a ‘Champions of Perennial Award’ in recognition of all the charity work the Hever Castle gardeners have participated in over the last year.

Memorably the gardeners assisted in the landscaping of a large show garden, ‘A Growing Obsession’, at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – an opportunity which the Hever Castle gardeners relished.

Perennial has been helping horticulturists in need for 175 years. The charity provides free and confidential advice, support and financial assistance to people of all ages working in, or retired from, horticulture. This help extends to spouses, partners and children.

Find out more about our gardens here.