BEST Western Hotels GB, whose headquarters is at Clifton Moor, York, has been short-listed for a Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Award (CIPR) in the customer relationships category.

The excellence awards recognise and reward best practice in public relations throughout the country and acknowledge personal and team achievement at the highest professional level.

The judging procedures are rigorous and test the impact of the practice of public relations on society as a whole.

This year the Institute received 550 entries for the 20 award categories, the highest number to date. All the shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by their category judges over May and June at the Institute's London headquarters.

Colin Farrington, CIPR director general and secretary to the judges, said: "It is work like this that demonstrates why Britain is leading Europe in public relations and home of the most thriving public relations business in the world."

The winners will be announced at the Excellence Awards presentation dinner at the London Hilton on Park Lane on Wednesday, July 6.

Updated: 10:52 Thursday, May 05, 2005