A HOTEL has picked up a national award for its hospitality.

Clow Beck House, in Croft, near Darlington, was awarded the Best Hotel in the Northern Hospitality Awards, held in Manchester.

It is the latest award for the hotel, which is run by husband-and-wife team, David and Heather Armstrong.

Mr Armstrong said: “We weren’t expecting this at all, as we were up against such strong competition – there were multinationals in there.

“So, when it was announced that we were the winners, it nearly passed us by.

“This year one of the criteria that they were looking for was they didn’t want a flash in the pan, they wanted people with a proven track record over a number of years.”