Vote for your Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards ‘Hidden Gem’ here

Liverpool is famed for its generous hospitality and the warm welcome it gives visitors and its own.

But not everyone always gets the credit they deserve.

Think about that little B&B you go to that makes a point of getting your special cereal or putting an extra bit of bacon on your brekkie because you’ve got a busy day ahead; or the restaurant that rolls out the red carpet and remembers who you are between visits whether it’s two weeks or 12 months!

There might even be a culture trail that’s off the well-trodden track that’s been a real find – and it would be great to let other people know it’s there, as well as give its organisers a pat on the back.

Well now’s your chance. 

The Guide Liverpool is teaming up with Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards to help catapult those Hidden Gems into the spotlight – and you get to help decide who they are.

The ‘Hidden Gem’ category is back again for 2021, voted for by the public and aimed at recognising the region’s ‘best kept secret’.

We want to hear what you think is the best gem in the Liverpool City Region. It can be in Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens or Wirral and ‘gems’ can be attractions, bars, restaurants, tours or natural assets which are off the main tourism trail.

You can click HERE to make your vote count. A shortlist will be drawn up and agreed by independent judges before being released for the final public vote, and the first-round voting will remain open until Sunday, January 9, 2022.

So get your thinking cap on because it’s your chance to shine the light on something or someone that’s special to you.

Sponsoring the Hidden Gem Award, Jay Hynd, director of The Guide Liverpool, says:

“Liverpool City Region is packed full of hidden gems, all shining bright and waiting to be discovered by tourists and visitors to our area.

“We are delighted to support this category and showcase some of the city region’s best kept secrets. We will be encouraging as many people to vote as possible via The Guide Liverpool’s website so that the one overall unknown treasure can shine even brighter.”

Hidden Gems is part of the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards which continue to recognise excellence across the city region’s tourism and hospitality sector.

You can use this QR code to cast your vote now!

Every year the judging panel sifts through huge numbers of applications to narrow down the very best, who will now go forward to the final judging panel ahead of the awards ceremony taking place at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral on March 10.

Peter Sandman, Head of Visitor Economy Development at Growth Platform, says:

“It’s great to see the visitor economy sector throwing their support behind these awards – this year we have seen close to a 40% increase in applications with many of those being new businesses getting involved for the first time.

“We are privileged to hold the event in such a stunning venue and to be able to celebrate our unique, diverse and resilient sector in style.”

The 17 categories include awards for best hotel, restaurant and attractions, alongside some new awards for ‘Resilience and Innovation’ and ‘Unsung Hero’.

Long-term supporter of the awards, the Liverpool BID (Business Improvement District) Company have stepped up as headline sponsors this year. Others include Quest Liverpool, Liverpool One and NML as associate sponsors and ACCL, Ticket Quarter, Luban, Epic Merseyrail, Wirral Chamber, BDO LLP as category sponsors. The Metro have joined as media partners and Amion Consulting will be sponsoring the drinks reception, and the after-show party will be at Masons Bar.

Tickets for the awards will go on sale next week.  To register your interest please email tourismawards@coolbreezeagency.com

The shortlist is:

New Tourism Business Award  
Boom Battle Bar: Liverpool
Liverpool Food Tours
Liverpool VRVE
MerseyMade
SKAUS Store & Cafe

Independent Tourism Business of the Year 
Duke Street Food and Drink Market
Fab 4 Taxi Tours
Liverpool Beatles Museum
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres
Liverpool Food Tours
MerseyMade
Shiverpool

Taste of Liverpool Award – Café/Bistro of the Year
Benty Farm Tearooms
Bold Street Coffee
Cafe Tabac

Caffe Cream of New Brighton

Taste of Liverpool Award – Restaurant of the Year 
Buyers Club
Delifonseca Dockside
Lu Ban Restaurant
Lunya
Marco Pierre Steakhouse Bar & Grill Liverpool
The London Carriage Works

Pub of the Year      
Liverpool Gin Distillery
Masons
The Bridewell
The Denbigh Castle
The Windmill Southport

Resilience and Innovation Award        
Cruise Liverpool
Liverpool ONE
Liverpool Philharmonic
Lu Ban Restaurant
Lunya

Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award
Redstones Cottage
Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust
Strawberry Field

B&B and Guest House of the Year
Sunnyside Guest House
The Braemar Southport
The Heidi Bed & Breakfast

Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year
EPIC Apartments
Quest Liverpool City Centre
Staybridge Suites Liverpool
Staycity Aparthotels, Liverpool, Waterfront

Hotel of the Year   
Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa
Hope Street Hotel
Pullman Liverpool
Titanic Hotel Liverpool

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year     
Royal Liver Building 360
Sefton Park Palm House
Strawberry Field
Western Approaches

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Knowsley Safari
Liverpool Cathedral
Tate Liverpool
The Atkinson
World Museum

Experience of the Year    
British Music Experience
Liverpool Food Tours
Shiverpool
Treasure Trails

Unsung Hero Award
Connie Blakemore, Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa
Gerard Madden, The Bridewell
Hannah Todd, The Interesting Eating Company
Phil Phillips, National Museums Liverpool

Tourism Young Person of the Year     
Carlotta Cervia, Hilton Liverpool City Centre
Dana Heard, Camp and Furnace
Emily Doyle, Lu Ban Restaurant
Jaime Stanton, Woodside Ferry Village
Mark Langan, Holiday Inn Express
Victoria Smith, Shiverpool