A Keswick guest house is among the top 10 bed and breakfast establishments in the world based on Tripadvisor reviews.
Fiona and Ben Goodman, who run the Glencoe Guest House in Helvellyn Street, are delighted with their tenth place world listing in the travellers’ choice best of the best awards.
The listings are based on an analysis of 12 months of Tripadvisor review data – January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 – from more than 1.5 million hotels across the globe.
“It’s quite unbelievable,” said Fiona. “Our little B&B has just five guest rooms but we offer a good service, it’s clean and comfortable and it’s dog friendly. I always think that appeals.”
The couple, who hail from Leicester, used to run the Squirrel Lodge, and almost lost the business during the Covid pandemic because they “fell through the gap” for financial support because they had not been trading long enough after buying the guest house in February 2019. But a year later they had built up the business so that it was rated number one out of 190 guest houses in Keswick.
“We have been tirelessly trying to keep in the top 10 since taking over at the Glencoe and once again we are the top guest house in Keswick and now in the top 10 in the world.”
The top guest house is the Toulson Court in Scarborough, for the third year running, and that was followed by Pousada Gaia Viva, in Igarata, Brazil, and in third place was the Yarra Gables in Healesville, Australia.
Typical of the reviews on Tripadvisor are: “Another perfect stay at our ‘must go to’ B&B in Keswick. Ben and Fiona have continued to improve the Glencoe over the winter months and their hard work is paying off. We’ll be back there again in a couple of weeks for another weekend stay. Very dog friendly as well!”
“We had a great time staying with Ben and Fiona. It was the first time we had spent time in the Lakes, and having knowledgeable and experienced hosts was an added bonus. They even directed us to a wonderful and not heavily trafficked beauty spot, which was just gorgeous! The room was lovely and bright, and the breakfast was great. Overall a really fresh take on a traditional Victorian guest house. We will definitely be staying here again!”
Fiona says that the majority of their business is from returning guests and the bed and breakfast has just undergone a refurbishment to three of its bedrooms and the dining room.
“When we ask guests how they have heard about us, nine out of 10 say it is through reviews on Tripadvisor,” said Fiona.
