THE Cliffden Hotel, Teignmouth, has received a service excellence award from Guide Dogs for the Blind. The award was presented by guide dog owner Betty Davenport. She has been visiting the hotel with her husband and guide dog since the hotel opened in the early 1990s. On her latest holiday she took guide dog Amber and her retired guide dog Jan, who is now a much-loved pet. The staff were very helpful throughout their stay, especially when Jan was unwell. Mrs Davenport said: 'They are always so kind and we do love to stay there. This time I really do feel they went that extra mile with Jan not being well, all the staff were so understanding and the kennel staff were very supportive. We feel part of the family there.' The award recognises the high standards of customer care given to blind and partially sighted people. Simon Hough, manager of Action for Blind People's Cliffden Hotel, said: 'The Cliffden Hotel prides itself on providing first-class holidays and short breaks for blind and partially-sighted people and we are delighted to receive this award. 'Action for Blind People runs four hotels in the UK designed to meet the needs of visually-impaired holiday makers and we strive to make every guest's stay as pleasant as Betty Davenport's,' he said. The presentation is part of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's Open Your Doors Golden Ribbon campaign, which aims to educate service providers about how they can best serve visually impaired customers. Guide Dogs' director of public policy and development, Tom Pey, said that many guide dog owners continue to encounter problems accessing a variety of environments including shops, hotels, public transport and high street pedestrian areas. 'We are working with all sections of the service industry to ensure that in the 75th anniversary of guide dogs in the UK, they and their owners receive the same standard of service as everybody else. 'Highlighting good practice will help to make it the norm, so that in the future, our vision of doors always being open to blind and partially sighted people and their guide dogs will become reality,' he said.