A CHAGFORD holiday company has been awarded first place in the Which? Travel magazine member survey of holiday cottage and villa companies for the second year in succession.

Helpful Holidays was awarded five out of five stars in all but one category, including a top rating for its properties matching their descriptions, the only company to achieve this.

To find the best self-catering cottage or villa booking company Which? members were asked to rate any they had used in the past year on everything from customer service to value for money. The 2,377 members named hundreds of different agencies and listings websites.

Helpful Holidays achieved the highest score, impressing members with its customer service, quality of information, ease of booking and comprehensive range of properties. Its advanced online search facility, with 42 handy filter options from pianos to pools, also achieved five stars. 

Moray Bowater, general manager of Helpful Holidays said: 'Everyone knows Which? endorsements are truly unbiased and trustworthy.

'To achieve its members' top rating two years in succession is a pleasing recognition of the diligence and attention to detail our team puts into practise with every booking we take. Ultimately, trust is the currency that really counts and earning that of our customers has been our purpose for the last 30 years.'

Lorna Cowan, editor of Which? Travel added: 'Helpful Holidays has proved to be a continued hit with Which? members after being voted the best holiday cottage company in our annual satisfaction survey for the second year running.

'Its impressive customer score and maximum five-star rating in six out of the seven featured categories, including customer service and ease of booking, shows just how well members rate the company and the cottages it offers.'