This York B&B has been recognised as one of the UK's best

Alcuin Lodge, on Sycamore Place, has been named in the top 25 B&Bs and Inns in the UK in the 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best awards - ranked at number 22.

In addition, the guest house has been informed by Tripadvisor that it's in the top one per cent of hotels worldwide in the B&B category.

Alcuin Lodge is run by Darren Scott-Shaw and his husband Mark. They have been running the guest house for eight years and have welcomed guests from most parts of the world and all over the UK.

Darren said: “We were told about being listed in the Top 25 B&Bs in the UK by a friend – it came out of the blue.

"It gave us a real boost and we’re hoping it will bring more people to our amazing city to support local independent businesses."

Alcuin Lodge was an Edwardian family home. It has five bedrooms and is located in a quiet cul-de-sac just off Bootham.

Darren and Mark do everything themselves from cooking breakfasts to room servicing and laundry.

It is a complete contrast from their previous backgrounds - Darren was director of a national government agency and director of local authority services while Mark was a continuous improvement engineer in automotive manufacturing.

The couple have made changes in response to the current coronavirus situation, including reducing the number of rooms they offer in order to increase space per person.

They have even developed their own online ordering 'app' so guests can pre-order their breakfast from their phone or tablet.

Regarding the Best of the Best awards, Tripadvisor's website says every year it "pulls together all the reviews, ratings, and saves that travellers share from across the globe, and uses that info to spotlight the very best. The Travellers' Choice Best of the Best awards celebrates them all."