It’s official, Wales has the best hotel in the UK.

TripAdvisor have been handing out their Travellers Choice Awards this past month to restaurants, hotels, beaches and even attractions.

But there’s one award everyone wants and that’s the ‘Best of the Best’ worldwide. For hotels, there are just 25 places available with Viroth’s Hotel in Cambodia claiming the top spot, followed by Hanoi La Siesta Hotel & Spa in Vietnam. Hotels in Costa Rice, Dubai, Maldives, Portugal, Switzerland, China, Brazil all take their place among the elite.

Trip Advisor commented “Every year, we pull together all the reviews, ratings, and saves that travellers share from across the globe — and use that info to spotlight the very best. The Travellers' Choice Best of the Best awards celebrates them all.”

For the UK, forget about the uber-posh of London or the fairy-tale of Edinburgh as the UK has secured just one place in the top 25. Coming in at number 13 worldwide and the best in the UK is the Lawton & Lauriston Court Hotel in Llandudno.

Located minutes to the mountains and the sea, the hotel boasts panoramic views and the best customer service in the world.

Looking down the feedback on their Trip Advisor listing, it is full of genuine customer reviews and tremendous feedback. Each one had been responded to personally and you get a sense that their whole team cares about the job they do and each customer.

“From the initial booking enquiry phone call to the welcome when we arrived the stay and leaving it was a joy. We had a room at the top of the hotel which we were clearly made aware of was small and the en-suite too. The room was lovely clean and modern with a great view across the bay and along the promenade which made up for the climb up the stairs and the very small but modern en-suite. Very helpful friendly staff there was a car parking space allocated for us on arrival the breakfast was excellent and the evening meal we chose to have in the hotel on the first was superb served in relaxing surroundings. Would we stay here again definitely.” TripAdvisor Review

We spoke with the team at the hotel about their journey "Carol-Lynn & Ian Robbins (my in-laws) opened Lauriston Court in 2010. In January 2013, they were awarded the ‘Best Hotel in the World for Customer Service’ through TripAdvisor. This was a worldwide achievement and bookings were coming in thick & fast from all over the world." Hannah Lawton-Jones told RedHanded Magazine.

"In 2014, the decision was taken to expand and Scott & I opened the hotel next door but one to the Lauriston, which we named Lawton Court, formally a care home for adults with learning difficulties – it needed a complete refurb & we turned this around in 6 weeks – working day & night. Before the doors were even opened, we had over 700 nights booked which were bookings that the Lauriston were not able to accommodate." added Hannah,

"Scott & I opened Lawton Court on 11th April 2014 with baby Hattie just 10 weeks old – we soon became just as busy as the Lauriston & we practically became fully booked throughout the season. Scott & I went on to win the same award - ‘Best Hotel in the World for Customer Service’ to be awarded this title once was amazing … but twice was unthinkable! Again, bookings went crazy - we needed more rooms!"

"We got in touch with the owner on the hotel in the middle of us (The Wellington) & asked for 1st refusal if/when she decided to sell up (it had previously been on the market) – ‘Buy it now’ she said! This was in August 2014! By February 2015, we have renovated the ‘one in the middle/Centre Court’ & made 2 doorways to connect the hotels together! We went from 11 rooms in each hotel, to 35 in total." explained Hannah, explaining their journey.

"Over the years we have gone from strength to strength & have expanded our businesses as well as our family – baby Hudson was born in April 2017 & we opened a pub called ‘The LC Drink & Dine’, in July 2017 which is very popular!"

"There is no ’secret’ but I feel that every single person that works, or has worked for us, has genuine care for their job & for our guests. As owners, we all bring our own strengths to the team, Carol-Lynn used to be a nurse, Ian has always been great with numbers & paperwork, Scott has worked in hospitality since he was 8 years old folding napkins & I previously work in customer service in M&S and off-shore training in Manila - with these skills used as a base - we all bring something to the table & build on with the help our amazing team."

"When awarded #1 spot in the ‘Top Hotels’ category in the UK (#3 in Europe / #13 in the World), we were left speechless – something that doesn’t happen often! We were up against some amazing contenders!"

"To say we are delighted is an understatement! We are a family run hotel & have a great team who complement our “nothing is any trouble” approach. Everyone works so hard, constantly, to ensure everything is just right."

"Since 2010, we have expanded from an 11 bedroom B&B, to a 35 bedroom hotel. From July 2020 we have began to offer evening meals at the hotel & a room service option. We are never complacent & always looking for ways to “give more” and improve on what we already have. We took advantage of the lockdown period (when safe to do so) to spruce up the hotel with a lick of paint - inside & out."

We’ve been grateful to win so many of Travellers Choice awards over the years, and every year we have used that as the spark to improve and grow the business.

"To now earn the number one spot in the Top Hotels category, against some incredible competition across the UK, and to know that it is all down to the feedback from our own guests, it really does make all the hard work worthwhile!

Why should people visit Llandudno?…...Why shouldn’t they? It's the most amazing place. It has everything you need & more - we are a central base for Snowdonia & the whole of North Wales attractions e.g Zip World & Portmeirion, we have the most wonderful promenade & the Victorian Pier is very popular with young & older visitors. Llandudno as a whole is

unspoilt - with modern twist. We have two amazing shores, the West & North Shore both with a completely different feel & the tram station that takes visitors up the The Great Orme on the original Victorian Trams.

We also have our own little micro climate, you can pass through every weather possible on the A55 on the way here - and more often than not, we have great weather! There’s nothing not to love about Llandudno!

We are situated in the most perfect location, a stones throw from the Promenade & the Pier entrance, waling distance to all pf the shops, bars & restaurants. We are also able to guarantee all of our guests a parking space on arrival - which sets us aside from most other hotels & is very rare given our seafront location!

In August 2020, we’ve opened ‘Just Pizza & Pasta’ – a new restaurant in Llandudno & proving very popular already! Both our pub, The LC Drink & Dine & Just Pizza & Pasta are located on Upper Mostyn Street – just around the corner from the hotel.

We will continue to keep “doing what we’re doing” and building on what we have. We are very grateful to all of our fantastic guests who has chosen to leave such great reviews for us over the years, to date, we have 3048 reviews! We are very proud."

We're sold, and it's hard not to want to visit Llandudno and the UK's best hotel. Please visit them online at https://www.lawton-lauristoncourt.co.uk for further information on your staycation adventure we're sure they will welcome you with open arms.

The TripAdvisor Awards event also featured London as the world’s number one popular destination, Edinburgh claimed the number 23 spot for the world’s trending destinations, and Ipswich claimed the number 14 spot for emerging destinations.

Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris, Scotland has claimed the best beach in the UK and 13th worldwide, beating Woolacombe Beach who came in at number 20 worldwide.

Wales lost out in the restaurant and attraction category completely whilst Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands Small-Group Day Tour from Edinburgh, Harry Potter Walking Tour for Muggles in London and Northern Ireland Highlights Day Trip Including Giant's Causeway from Dublin all secured their top 25 spots for best attractions worldwide.

Check out the full list of winners online at here from TripAdvisor's Traveller's Choice Awards.

Let us know in the comments below about places you would love to have seen from Wales on the list of the Best of the Best.