What happened at the eviivo Awards 2018?

On 16th October 2018, eviivo and a couple of hundred of the UK’s best independent accommodation owners gathered together for the eviivo Awards 2018 at Quaglino’s – one of the most iconic restaurants in London’s Mayfair. The night was a roaring success and we were thrilled that so many hosts and industry names made it to the fabulous event.

The event was Venetian Carnival themed, which was evident from the moment our honoured guests stepped inside the Venetian wonderland. Guests, judges and eviivo staff alike enjoyed the atmosphere, the beautiful Venetian decorations and the rare chance to mingle with others in the travel industry from all around the UK – and even as far Venice!

For the second year in a row, awards were open to both eviivo and non-eviivo customers, establishing the eviivo Awards as a truly industry-wide event. The top quality judging panel included industry experts, internationally recognised journalists and celebrity chef, Phil Vickery, all of whom were hugely impressed by the quality of the entries.

To kick off the evening there was bubbly and canapes as guests mingled with eviivo staff, industry experts and fellow hoteliers. This was followed by an address from eviivo’s CEO, Michele Fitzpatrick, who talked about eviivo’s priorities for the year ahead, including making National B&B Day bigger and better than before and continuing to work on enhancing eviivo suite’s functions and interface.

After the address, our meat-eating guests tucked into a feast of grilled Hereford fillet of beef, braised cheek, gratin dauphinois and seasonal baby vegetables, while the vegetarians were treated to smoked aubergine cannelloni with spiced caponata and wilted spinach, followed by a delectable chocolate fondant dessert.

During dinner, there was never-ending entertainment from an accomplished harpist, three opera singing waiters and an acting troupe in 16th Century Venetian costume. And then – the moment we had all been waiting for – the awards began!

The awards saw the Quirkiest Place to Stay crowned, the most inventive budget accommodation awarded Budget with a Twist, and the most deserving B&B owner revered as Outstanding Host. The best property group was named Multi-Property Wizard, the most attractive property was awarded Most Beautifully Presented and the stand-out self-catering property was crowned Sweetest Homestay. Last up, following the Tastiest Breakfast cook-off judged by celebrity chef, Phil Vickery, the most delicious winner was announced. Award winners were covered in the Mail Online here. Take a look at the video for this year’s Tastiest Breakfast Award cook-off:

The culmination of the Awards was the announcement of the 9 regional Hidden Gems awards, followed by the overall winner of the night, which was crowned Star Amongst Stars.

When the Awards came to a close, with all winners absolutely over the moon with their trophies, it was time for one more performance for our guests, which involved two incredibly talented Chinese acrobats performing the impressive dance of ‘ballet on shoulders’. Finally, guests took to the dance floor to dance the night away and celebrate the success of another eviivo Awards night.

We are honoured to host such a grand occasion, which does wonders to drive publicity for independent B&Bs, hotels, guest houses and self-catered accommodation. It’s our pleasure to shine a light on the fantastic work of our customers and the broader industry, and we love giving them the recognition they deserve.

Lastly, from all of us at eviivo, we’d like to say a hearty congratulations to all of our winners this year and thank all of the shortlisted properties, special guests and judges for celebrating this spectacular event with us.

#eviivoAwards 

Find out what’s happening at the 2019 eviivo Awards.