Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa has been awarded the WorldHost badge of excellence for customer service.

The 77-bedroom hotel, which recently opened a new £5.5million spa, received the accolade after its staff completed extensive customer training delivered by national firm The People 1st Training Company.

Noel Byrne, chief executive at Bedford Lodge, said: “This is a great achievement. We have always tried to offer excellent customer service and constantly invest in our staff training.

“We seek feedback from our customers regularly to ensure we work towards achieving these service standards and our Tripadvisor comments would suggest we are getting our service right.

“This WorldHost recognition aims to raise the bar in the service that is offered by businesses that need to interact with customers on a daily basis. It is a great testament to our staff that they have all made the grade.

“I want to thank them for continuing to make this beautiful hotel a desirable place for our guests to stay and enjoy.”

Katie Watson, the hotel’s front-desk manager, said: “The World Host training gave the staff a great insight into the customer’s needs.

“Learning how to better serve our guests to ensure they have a completely positive experience fits in with our basic core goals here at Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa. The training was a good way to empower the entire staff to provide excellent customer care.”

The People 1st Training Company has trained more a million people worldwide, including the thousands of volunteers at the 2012 London Olympics.