Luxlife Award for Blue Otter Boats

Not everyone can claim to be Nauti and Nice at the same time, but if Luxlife Magazine says so, who are we to disagree?

We are delighted to have received this recognition from the inaugural Nautical Tourism Awards 2022 as Best Canal Boat Holiday Experience – England!

On the magazine awards page during the review period from July to October this year, the editors said, “We are undertaking a comprehensive review of the market in order to drive nominees for the Nautical Tourism Awards 2022, it is an open entrance programme, where nominees can be as involved as they choose, and winners are determined on merits as opposed to popularity or size.

“In scrutinizing our shortlist and determining the winners, we focus on a range of factors such as performance, ratings, customer feedback and testimonials, usability and market position, we do not simply let the company’s size or budget determine their success. We are passionate about rewarding those who truly deserve recognition for their outstanding efforts.”

We would like to thank all our Blue Otter Boat guests for their reviews on our booking agent page at Hoseasons, as well as engagement on our social media pages across facebook, instagram, LinkedIn, google and twitter. All feedback is welcomed and we constantly strive to improve our service and keep the boating experience fresh.

Discover life in the slow lane, as you meander through countryside, town and city.

Canal holidays are a relaxing way to discover England, explore heritage sites and simply get away from it all with a countryside retreat on the move. With a boat on the Leeds to Liverpool Canal in Skipton and another on the Stratford Canal in Wootton Wawen, our objective is to ensure you have a relaxing, safe and memorable canal holiday. Some of our guests are first time boaters while others are seasoned travellers along England’s water highways. If it’s your first time, we’ll go with you through the first swing bridges and locks until you feel confident to go it alone.

2022 marks our fourth year of operations. During that time we have been faced with operational challenges from droughts restricting boating movement, canal closures due to sudden lock failures, to pandemic-induced lockdowns and new hiring proceedures. Guest safety and enjoyment of the canals has been of paramount importance to us from day one, so we are particularly delighted to be recognised for providing an excellent holiday experience.

A selection of comments left in the onboard guest book over the years.

Striving for Excellence

Blue Otter Boats are in the Starboard collection of Hoseasons, where boating enthusiasts are invited to “Experience our first class fleet of contemporary and stylish boats; you’ll get heads turning.” Contributing to our award-winning canal boat holiday experience, we only accept bookings through our agent Hoseasons, as this offers our guests an additional peace of mind that their holiday is protected.

Adapting to the challenges over the years we have introduced static stays during drought periods, enhanced cleaning procedures during the pandemic – many of which are still in place today – as well as signing up to the VisitEngland ‘We’re Good to Go‘ safetyl kitemark and World Travel and Tourism Council ‘Safe Travels‘ schemes.

Announcing the awards in November 2022, LuxLife Magazine stated, “There have been huge changes within the travel and tourism industry over the past few years. As we all know, there has been a sweeping impact upon the businesses offering breathtaking adventures and luxurious services within the travel and tourism environment.

This year we are proud to showcase companies breathing life back into the industry, whilst fulfilling our wants and needs for opulent, sustainable, and stunning facilities, services, yachts, or boats that truly leave us in awe.”

We look forward to welcoming new guests and some familiar returning faces to our boats in Skipton and Wootton Wawen.

Thank you for your continued support, it really is greatly appreciated.