The Bedford Lodge Hotel in Newmarket is celebrating its highest yet four star score after an overnight inspection by the AA.

The inspector commended the hotel, describing his stay as “amazing”, and awarded it a score of 83%, against 80% when it was last inspected.

The scoring means the hotel retains its overall four star status and its two AA rosettes rating for its restaurant, Squires.

Noel Byrne, chief executive of Bedford Lodge Hotel, said: “I am thrilled that we have improved by another 3% in the recent AA inspection. This high rating is a credit to our employees’ dedication and hard work, and our owner’s commitment to improvements throughout the property.

“We are just a very small margin away from achieving the prestigious AA Inspectors’ Choice ‘red star’ award, which is awarded to only the very best hotels in the UK and Republic of Ireland. We will be taking on board the inspector’s recommendations so that we can continue to improve and offer our guests an exemplary service.”

The inspector also said that the hotel’s £5.5million spa, which is adjacent to the hotel in the grounds of the Georgian estate, was “excellent” and that he was impressed with the “immense attention to detail.”

Mr. Byrne added: “We’ve had a very busy couple of years upgrading and extending almost every area of the business, from refurbishing the bedrooms, bar and restaurant to opening our exquisite new spa. Achieving our highest ever scoring reflects the investment and enhancements we have made in recent years to offer our guests an even more luxurious experience when they visit.”