A Monmouthshire hotel that underwent refurbishment after being hit by flooding in 2019, is celebrating after winning a Good Hotel Guide César Award.

The Bell at Skenfrith, located beside the River Monnow, was just one of ten hotels across the UK to be awarded a César, named after famous hotelier César Ritz and is described as the Oscars of hotel keeping.

Owner, Sarah Hudson, accepted the award along with her manager Maria Zhelyazkova and Head Chef Joseph Colman (who comes from Tenby) at the Good Hotel Guide awards ceremony in London on Monday October 3, with The Bell winning ‘Best Welsh Inn for 2022’.

Speaking about the award, Sarah said: “We are delighted to receive this award as it is ultimately voted for by people who have stayed with us and a team of seasoned travel journalists, so it is good to get such an endorsement in recognition and appreciation for what we are doing at the hotel.”

The Bell has won a number of awards over the years, and was bought by Sarah in 2014 alongside her partner Richard, who sadly died in 2019.

Sarah previously owned a restaurant and has a wealth of experience in hospitality having been involved in the industry for 50 years.

This year’s award is all the more worthy given the hotel has faced issues such as severe flooding along with the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic.

Sarah said: “Towards the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, we suffered from horrendous flooding on our ground floor that led to major refurbishment work taking place.

‘‘Unfortunately, whilst the hotel was undergoing this refurb, Covid struck in March and suddenly all the workers were forced off site until May.”

When the workers did return to finish the refurbishment, new floors were put in to replace those on the ground floor along with radiators to better protect against any damage caused by future flooding. After Covid restrictions eased, the hotel was allowed to re-open in September 2020 but was once again forced to close for Christmas as another lockdown began.

It re-opened its doors to guests in May 2021. Prior to Covid, Sarah had as many as 20 staff working at The Bell but the effect of the pandemic and other factors has led to the hotel now operating with ten members of staff. The hotel has 11 guest rooms, a restaurant dining area and bar, as well as a function room which can be hired out for private parties. It has an extensive garden where guests can sit out and enjoy the beautiful views of the river Monnow and surrounding hills. The hotel is also dog-friendly with guests allowed to bring their pets to stay in the hotel with them. There’s even a Dog and Boot Bar with dog biscuits for good pets. Situated alongside the River Monnow in the picturesque village of Skenfrith, guests can enjoy plenty of walking and fishing in the area and the hotel is popular with young and old alike, honeymooners, city dwellers with pets and people wanting some peace and quiet. Speaking of the changes made, Sarah said: “I think our new look has proven very successful, the changes have allowed us to bring the hotel up to date and put our own stamp on it. “We’ve renovated the bedrooms and through rethinking our business model, focusing more on our resident guests, we are able to provide a higher quality of service which we have found has been much appreciated.”

The hotel has reaped the benefits of these changes since re-opening in May, with a steady influx of guests. Its award-winning restaurant is booked up for the next month as Sarah and her team prepare for the busy Christmas period, something which Sarah is looking forward.

She added: “We’re all very excited looking ahead to Christmas.’’

‘‘After the challenges of the last 18 months it will be fantastic to welcome back guests for the festive season and provide them with an excellent quality of service.”