The owner of two boutique Warwickshire hotels have made it a hattrick of wins at a prestigious award ceremony after generating their strongest employee retention levels since 2018. 

Eden Hotel Collection – which operates Leamington Spa's Mallory Court Hotel & Spa and The Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon – has been named Best Employer at The Springboard Awards For Excellence 2025, which recognises individuals' and organisations' innovation and commitment to their teams, communities and the wider industry. 

Following the award win, judges described Eden's dedication to employee engagement "as a true exemplar of excellence in the hospitality industry," as they "demonstrated a remarkable commitment to nurturing and developing their team members." 

Eden's award win comes off the back of a year that has seen its 90-day retention rate average 97 per cent, with overall retention rate of the company's 550-strong workforce up by 28 per cent – which is its strongest increase since 2018. 

This has resulted in vacancies decreasing by 68 per cent year-on-year, with the time taken to screen and interview candidates on average taking less than seven days. 

Nearly 50 employees have also completed an apprenticeship or leadership programme in the past year, while more than 70 were promoted. 

The improvements have been driven by key initiatives that have been developed based on colleague feedback to aid their wellbeing, including the introduction of Wagestream for early access to earned wages, through to a science-backed reward and recognition system called the Happy Hub to boost feel-good hormones. 

Elsewhere, Eden has invested £1.5 million in purchasing a 15-cottage complex for staff accommodation at its five-star Bovey Castle resort; while an enhanced employee referral programme has been introduced where existing team members can earn up to £1,000 for each successful referral they make. 

Eden's latest Springboard award win follows victories in the same awards in the previous two years where they collected the Employee Engagement and Health & Wellbeing categories in 2024, and Best Training Programme in 2023. 

Lisa Redding, Group People Director at Eden Hotel Collection, said: "Finding and keeping the right talent in hospitality – especially in the boutique hotel sector – is more competitive than ever. That's why this award means so much to us. It reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a workplace where our people feel valued, supported, and able to thrive." 

Mark Chambers, Managing Director at Eden Hotel Collection, added: "As a business, we're not just focused on retaining great talent – we're dedicated to helping our team grow into the next generation of hospitality leaders. 

"Developing our people and our properties is a key part of our ongoing growth, and we are starting to reap the rewards of this as we are forecasting turnover of approximately £18-plus million for the financial year ending March 2025, an increase from £16.9 million from the previous year. 

"Ultimately, hospitality is all about people and we're proud to be recognised as a leader in this space." 

The Eden Hotel Collection operates The Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, The Greenway Hotel and Spa in Cheltenham, Brockencote Hall Hotel in Kidderminster, Mallory Court Hotel and Spa in Leamington, and Bovey Castle in Devon. 

Last year, Eden was also named Small Hotel Group of the Year at the AA Hospitality Awards.