LOCAL hoteliers are in celebratory mood after making it into the Good Hotel Guide.

Staff at Helen Browning’s Royal Oak in Bishopstone were thrilled to learn of their achievement just months after opening in the quaint heart of the village.

The ambitious project to turn the pub into a popular 12-bedroom hotel was overseen by organic farmer Tim Finney.

Tim said: “Things are running beautifully at the moment, we are loving every minute of it.

“As a business, we have been listed in the Good Food Guide for the past eight or nine year, so it’s great to have made it into the Good Hotel Guide, too.”

The hotel’s bedrooms are all named and themed after fields on the farm and the building work has also seen the pub’s kitchen and bar extended.

Chewing over the past few months, Tim said: “On the whole, it’s been marvellous. We have had some great reviews and our guests really seem to have enjoyed staying with us.”