Low Penhowe B & B (From York Press)

Low Penhowe B & B

12:51pm Tuesday 7th June 2011 in Profiles

ARMED with an “excellence award” from a top travel review website for their five-star bed and breakfast near Malton, owners Christopher and Philippa Turner are in a winning mood.

That is why they are pitching for the Tourism and Hospitality Business Of The Year title in The Press Business Awards 2011. And why not? After all, they are buoyed by no fewer than 140 “excellent” reviews – and counting – of Low Penhowe B & B on TripAdvisor and are still basking in the triumph of their third successive Accommodation of the Year accolade in the Visit York tourism awards plus both gold and top breakfast gongs in the Visit England Awards.

Then there was the Best B & B in the Welcome To Yorkshire awards plus winner of Best Yorkshire Breakfast title from Deliciouslyorkshire.

Yet there are only two bedrooms with an occasional third, all tastefully decorated, one a double with an ensuite bathroom, another a twin bedroom with a private bathroom.

It is a 17th century house, once a working farmhouse, and still has five acres with Highland cattle, geese, turkeys and chickens which provide part of the morning breakfast.

And it is all set within serene and stunning views across the North Yorkshire Moors.

The couple bought what some reviewers have described as “a little bit of heaven” 26 years ago, but have only been doing bed and breakfasts for the last eight years. Also on the site are a couple of self-catering holiday cottages they converted from an old granary. Combined, they all turn over more than £60,000.

Normally they charge £99 per room per night, but a two-night stay drops to £90 and the tariff for a four night stay is £80 per room. The concession has increased the average stay from 2.18 to 2.36 nights and added 25 new bookings for four or more nights over the last financial year. In total it means that have had the benefit of 129 extra nights and a 35 per cent increase in turnover.

Christopher said: “This is our home, not a dedicated guest accommodation, and we love people. I suppose that’s the secret of our success.”