A FAMILY-run boutique hotel triumphed against household names such as Evian and Aldi at an awards ceremony.

The Cranleigh, in Bowness, won the award for best use of Facebook at the 2014 UK Social Media Awards in London.

"Really smart" was the judges' verdict on the hotel's Facebook campaign, which amassed almost 100,000 'likes' in 18 months.

The Cranleigh's general manager Emma Johnson collected the award at the Emirates Stadium - home of Arsenal FC.

Hotel owner Stephen Hargreaves said: "At the end of the day, we are a small family -run hotel in the Lake District, so to be able to compete and win at this level is fantastic. It also demonstrates the strength of Cumbrian business and we are delighted to be able to represent the county in such a way.”

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