More than 1,500 businesses from across the UK have stepped up to have their washrooms and toilet facilities judged by a team of independent inspectors, as part of the 2024 Loo of the Year Awards.
Run by businesswoman Becky Wall BEM, the scheme is now in its 37th year of celebrating excellence when it comes to the facilities we all need to use.
Becky said: “Our mission is to celebrate and recognise good, great, outstanding and exceptional ‘away from home’ washroom facilities across the UK. In doing this we offer the public the opportunity to make decisions about where to spend their time and money.
“All of us notice when washrooms and toilets are of exceptional quality, and we also pay attention if visiting them is a poor experience. We aim to showcase those businesses which take hygiene and public loos seriously – seeing them as part of a positive customer or staff experience.”
Central to the Loo of the Year Awards is a grading scheme where entrants agree to receive an unannounced visit from an inspector, and each washroom is judged on 101 criteria which include cleanliness, décor, signage, accessibility and customer care.
Becky continued: “This is not just about winning awards. It’s about committing to excellence when it comes to providing facilities for customers and/or staff, and being prepared to improve your offering and maintain high quality services. Your grading can be put on public display to show customers how seriously you take their personal comfort.”
This year, 1,556 businesses entered the scheme – some nominated themselves, however nominations can come from anyone using the facilities (as long as the owner or manager authorises the nomination). Of those which entered, the top five business categories were: pubs; shopping centres; hotels; caravan and camping sites; and motorway service stations.
Grading for 2024 has now been completed with 64 businesses getting the highest grading of ‘diamond’; 478 being graded as ‘platinum plus’; 988 as ‘platinum’; 25 rated ‘gold’ and one rated as ‘silver’. Not one business was rated at the basic grading of ‘bronze’.
Becky added: “We are thrilled with the level of entries this year and the commitment shown by those nominated to either improve their standards or maintain very high standards.”
Last year’s overall Loo of the Year winner was the team who run Hillcroft Park caravan and glamping site in Pooley Bridge in the Lake District. Owner Jill Heath commented: “Even though our old facilities building was cleaned on a regular basis, there was no underfloor heating, the shower cubicles were small and it needed bringing up to date.
“We wanted to offer our guests clean modern facilities with energy saving equipment, large tiled shower cubicles with seating, tiled floors with underfloor heating, plenty of ventilation and light, including wall murals of the Lakeland fells and a wildlife soundtrack with a high standard of cleanliness throughout, and this is what we achieved.
“To win the overall national award in 2023, we were ecstatic: it means a great deal to a small family business who have a fantastic team around them.”
After months of grading, the Loo of the Year Award team will be hosting a day of celebration, sponsored by the leading global brand in professional hygiene, Tork, at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull on Wednesday 15 January 2025. During the daylong event, which will raise money for the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK, trophies will awarded in various categories for outstanding customer service.
