Cottage in the Dales, the multi-award-winning luxury holiday cottage business in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, has joined Accessible Hospitality Alliance (aha), adding a distinctive independent accommodation perspective to aha’s growing operator membership.
Owned and operated by Diane and Andrew Howarth, Cottage in the Dales has built its reputation around high-quality self-catering hospitality, personal service and inclusive guest experience. Its cottages combine the character of 18th century rural buildings with the comfort, detail and practical consideration expected by today’s guests.
The Byre won the VisitEngland Award for Excellence in self-catering in 2017. Not resting on their laurels, the business has gone on to be particularly recognised for The Dairy, its accessible luxury cottage in Newbiggin, Bishopdale. Launched in 2017, The Dairy was created to support guests with mobility, hearing and visual requirements, along with being dementia and autism friendly, while maintaining the warmth, quality and sense of place expected from a luxury stay in the Yorkshire Dales.
That balance is central to the Cottage in the Dales approach. Accessibility is not treated as a separate or secondary feature, but as part of delivering hospitality well. Facilities are carefully integrated so that they are available when needed, without diminishing the experience for guests who do not need them. It’s not surprising The Dairy has been recognised by the industry with many national accessibility awards too.
Cottage in the Dales’ membership of aha places the business within a growing community of hospitality operators working together to advance accessibility through shared experience, practical learning and collaborative action.
Diane Howarth, Managing Director at Cottage in the Dales, said: “The Dairy has been successful beyond our wildest dreams, with 95+% annual occupancy, high level of future bookings and a very high returning guest rate – all nirvana for any accommodation provider.
“When a guest with accessibility accommodation requirements finds somewhere that meets their individual needs, then also receives our personal recommendations of accessible places to visit, eat, and walk, supported by great customer service, there is a very high propensity for them to want to return.
“Many of our accessible guests see The Dairy as their second home. This is the best compliment that our guests can give us.”
Robin Sheppard, co-founder and Chair of Accessible Hospitality Alliance, welcomed Diane and Andrew saying: “Cottage in the Dales brings an important voice to Accessible Hospitality Alliance. Diane and Andrew have shown how accessibility can sit comfortably within a premium hospitality experience, without compromise and without losing the character of the property or the warmth of the welcome.
“Their membership strengthens aha because it demonstrates that accessibility is relevant across the full breadth of hospitality, from major hotel groups to distinctive independent accommodation providers.
“Progress is strongest when different operators share what they are learning from practical first-hand guest experience.”
As aha’s operator membership continues to grow, Cottage in the Dales adds further evidence of accessibility being developed across different hospitality settings, not through theory, but through the practical decisions that shape how guests are welcomed, supported and enabled to enjoy their stay.