CHAGFORD based holiday company Helpful Holidays has won a prestigious national award at the 2013 British Travel Awards.

The company won the best cottage and self catering booking company category. The agency was also Highly Commended by Feefo for its new customer service award having scored 99% in the travel category.  

The award was announced on October 31 at a glamorous Hallowe'en Night Gala Awards Dinner held at Battersea Evolution in London and attended by around 1,000 travel industry people.

The British Travel Awards are the largest monitor of public opinion on the performance of travel and tourism providers. Travel companies and tourism organisations were invited to register for listing in the various categories. A shortlist was then drawn up by a panel of respected individuals from both in and outside of the travel industry, but it is the leisure holidaymakers whose votes finally determine the winners.

Delighted with the accolade, Helpful Holidays general manager Moray Bowater said: 'We're proud and honoured to have won this award and immensely grateful to all those who took the trouble to vote for us. It is a wonderful credit to our team and home owners, as well as a testament to the level of service and quality of properties offered by Helpful Holidays overall.

'Helpful Holidays has always stood for reliable, un-hyped and outstanding service to its customers, which this award recognises in the best possible way – via the votes of those we serve and those who know us. Ultimately, trust is the currency that really counts and we're delighted to have earned that from our customers through our straightforward and frank approach, which has been the touchstone of our business since we began over 30 years ago.'

BTA's chief executive, Lorraine Barnes Burton, said: 'This year more than one million votes were cast by consumers to determine the winners of the coveted British Travel Awards, making it the largest awards programme in the UK. To win is truly an accolade.

'The travelling public regards the British Travel Awards winners' logo as the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really are the best travel companies and Helpful Holidays is to be congratulated on its achievement in an awards programme which garners the opinions of the nation – these finalists and winners really are the best in travel.'

Helpful Holidays is also a recommended provider for cottage and villa bookings by Which? travel, having come top in its members' survey for 2012 and 2013, and recently won The Sunday Times 2013 Travel Editor's Choice Award.