MATFEN Hall Hotel has been named among the best in the region at a prestigious awards ceremony.

The brightest stars of the hotel industry gathered for the fifth annual North East Hotel Excellence Awards on Thursday, February 25.

The ceremony at the Newcastle-Gateshead Hilton celebrates staff members who have delivered outstanding service in 10 categories.

Sales and marketing director at Matfen Hall Hotel, Sarah Barber was the proud recipient of the Sales Excellence Award.

She said: “I am absolutely ecstatic. This wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of the whole sales team and is testament to all their hard work, too.”

Around 400 employees from hotels across the region gathered for the awards, organised by the North East Hotels Association. Awards were also won by the New Northumbria Hotel in Jesmond, Mercure Newcastle County Hotel, Jesmond Dene House and Darlington’s Rockcliffe Hall Hotel.

A lifetime achievement award went to Judi Thompson, formerly of Marriot Gosforth Park and recently retired, after working for a quarter of a century for the group.

The North East Hotels Association (NEHA) is now believed to be the biggest in England.

Joint chairman, Bernard Bloodworth, managing director at Matfen Hall, said: “This year’s event was our biggest and best to date, attracting a record number of entries from an increasing number of hotels in the region.

“We are hugely fortunate in having some of the hospitality sector’s brightest and best performers across all departments – from sales to service – and this is our chance to thank them.”