A POPULAR hotel next to Essex University has said it is “pleased” after being named one of the best venues in the east of England.

Wivenhoe House Hotel has been crowned Large Hotel of the Year at this year’s annual East of England Tourism Awards.

Heavily led by students from the Edge Hotel School at the university, Wivenhoe House Hotel is a wedding and events venue as well as a hotel.

It was one of four north Essex businesses crowned winners in this year's awards.

The others were Colchester Zoo with the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award, Hasty’s Adventure Farm in Clacton, named Small Visitor Attraction of the Year and The Three Horseshoes in Fordham, named Pub of the Year.

Gazette: Luxury - inside the hotelLuxury - inside the hotel (Image: Wivenhoe House Hotel)

Wivenhoe House beat out fellow finalists Down Hall Hotel, Spa and Estate in Bishop’s Stortford and Turing Locke in Eddington, Cambridge.

Reacting to the win, the hotel said: “We’re pleased for the recognition of all the hard work that the Wivenhoe House staff have put into the hotel over the last ten or more years."

Meanwhile, deputy manager Sean Morrison has announced a new general manager, Stephen Robson, is joining the team.

Mr Robson added: “I’m excited to be joining a team which has just been awarded large hotel of the year with a clear passion for hospitality.”