Press Release

Stephen Chidgey’s mantra that good customer service is more important than anything has again earned him a finalist’s place in the self-catering category of the 2021/2022 Cornwall Tourism Awards.

Stephen runs the Old Barn at Tregonetha with his partner Allen Puckey. Situated in a quiet hamlet between Padstow and Bodmin, the eco-friendly, five-bed accommodation is within walking distance of the Tregonetha Downs nature reserve and Castle-an-Dinas, an impressive Iron Age hill fort.

Cornwall has thousands of self-catering holiday properties yet, since 2014, the Old Barn continues to be singled out nationally and regionally for its exceptional quality standards, attention to detail and outstanding guest reviews.

“Property cleanliness is a given these days, but we work very hard to treat our guests as real people, rather than as names on an automated booking form,” said Stephen. “We don’t use online travel agencies like Airbnb and Booking.com because, as hosts, we want our visitors to feel they can talk to us when they need to, rather than being distanced by a faceless third party.

“Customer service is, and always will be, our number one priority. We listen to what guests say, make sure they’ve got what they need and do our best to go above and beyond expectation. Their feedback is what wins us awards and I’d like to thank them – and our whole team – for inspiring this latest success.

“We may be a comparatively small business but, as our occupancy rate and awards prove, we do seem to punch above our weight.”

The Old Barn currently has a 100% ‘Excellent’ rating based on 65 Trustpilot reviews.

Ends
January 2022

Cornwall Tourism Awards 2021/2022 FinalistsPhotos: Stephen Chidgey (left) and Allen Puckey outside The Old Barn in Tregonetha