A Lake District hotel chain swept the board at the Excellence in Cumbria Awards, winning two trophies and securing two runners-up prizes.

English Lakes Hotels walked off with the new media innovation award, for businesses making excellent use of the Internet, and the company's Low Wood Hotel clinched the Lady Inglewood Training Award, for excellence in training and development in the tourist industry.

In addition, the company as a whole was a finalist for the Lady Inglewood Training Award, while Tracey Davis, deputy manager of the chain's Royal Hotel in Bowness, was an area winner of the Adult Progress Award, for someone exhibiting a combination of progress in learning and in their everyday lives.

English Lakes Hotels managing director Simon Berry said he was "absolutely delighted" with the company's success.

"Winning four awards is the culmination of three years of really hard work on our training and development programmes.

"We have had recognition for a member of staff at our smallest hotel and recognition for the work that has been happening company-wide and corporately on Internet training.

To win two awards and be runner-up in two more is a tremendous achievement for the whole team."

English Lakes Hotels has earned a reputation for its innovative website and online marketing ventures, which have paid dividends with a big increase in bookings via the Internet.

The company developed its own in-house training scheme to ensure reception and sales staff and managers could make the most of opportunities offered by e-commerce.

The company hired Kendal College's mobile training unit and has so far put around 50 staff through their paces.

Group marketing manager Colin Fox said the initiative had proved a tremendous success.

For example, some £80,000 worth of bookings were taken over the Internet in March - more than three times the figure for two years ago.