[The Roman Baths team with the two awards, photo by Gareth Williams Photography]
Congratulations to the city’s Roman Baths and Pump Room who have won two awards at the South West England Tourism Excellence Awards Ceremony. They’ve brought home Silver in the Wedding Venue of the Year category and Bronze for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism.
The winners were announced last night (Thursday 23 March) at a ceremony at the Eden Project in Cornwall.
Amanda Hart, Roman Baths and Pump Room Manager, said: “Our staff work hard to provide an award-winning experience to all of our visitors, and to ensure that wedding couples and their guests have an amazing and memorable time at the Roman Baths. It’s great to have this recognised with two prestigious South West England Tourism Excellence Awards.”
The Roman Baths is one of the most stunning locations in the country for weddings. Couples can exchange vows beside the torchlit Great Bath, either at a Sunrise Wedding before the museum opens or a Sunset Ceremony after it closes. Following the ceremony, wedding receptions are held in the grand Pump Room or on the terrace overlooking the Great Bath. Guests can enjoy food and drink with a strong focus on sustainability and local sourcing, courtesy of caterers Searcys.
The Roman Baths prides itself on being as welcoming as possible to visitors with disabilities. 90% of the historic building is accessible to wheelchair users; deaf and hard of hearing visitors can explore the site using a handheld British Sign Language guide; and a fully descriptive audio tour and tactile models are available for blind and partially sighted visitors. Information is provided for autistic visitors and those experiencing potential claustrophobia. The Roman Baths offers quieter evenings throughout the year to neurodiverse visitors, and is working with the Stroke Association to become a Stroke Friendly Museum.
The South West England Tourism Excellence Awards are recognised for their rigour and quality of judging, with independent judges spending months poring over entry submissions, websites, social media and review sites, as well as carrying out business visits, many of them mystery visits. Reports and recommendations are then submitted to an independent panel, who select the winners.
