Royal Oak’s owner is hotels Group-of-the-year!

The Coaching Inn Group, which operates Welshpool’s Royal Oak, has been named Hotel Group-of-the-Year 2023-2024 by AA Hospitality.

This prestigious accolade was announced at the organisation’s annual awards hosted by Strictly Come Dancing star, Claudia Winkleman, at The Grosvenor Hotel in London.

Speaking after the ceremony, a delighted Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Charity, said the coveted national award was a tribute to the enthusiastic support, hard work, and commitment shown by all those employed in the group’s hotels and inns in market towns across the country.

It was brilliant to see the group’s top-rate hospitality being recognised both by guests and the industry, he added.

“We have expanded steadily over recent years and established an enviable reputation for the role our properties play at the very heart of the communities they serve,” he said.

“Our hospitality from the heart ethos has been taken very much to heart by our front of house teams, supported by their colleagues in all other departments.

“We’ve become a very people focussed business over the past four years, just constantly maintaining that culture, keeping on improving and looking at what we can do better, and how we as a management team, can serve our people – that's been the key,” he added.

The group said it highly values its enthusiastic team members and its additional comprehensive programme of staff benefits was a token of its on-going appreciation, said Kevin.

He is pictured holding the award certificate together with from left to right, his wife Lily, Operations Director, Adam Charity, Chief Financial Officer Edward Walsh, holding the trophy, Kelly Butler, Head of Procurement, Lee Melton, Head of People and Matt Charity, Head of Commercial.