Less than a 30-minute walk from the golden sands of Southport beach in Merseyside sits Britain's best B&B. Owned by husband-and-wife team Anthony, 39, and Larissa Duffey, 37, Sunnyside Bed and Breakfast scooped two accolades in VisitEngland's 2025 tourism awards, including Best B&B in England, and a second commendation for Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism.
Staycation Boom Drives Demand
The UK is primed for a bumper staycation summer, with holiday companies reporting 'similar patterns' to the pandemic because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East - and this quintessentially British guesthouse knows exactly what Brits holidaying on home soil are looking for. Over the last 18 years, Sunnyside owner Anthony says he's learned exactly what does and doesn't work.
The father of one reveals just how much his business has changed since he first opened it with his mother nearly two decades ago, when he was just 20 years old. 'We've actually got less rooms than when we first opened,' Anthony tells the Daily Mail. 'We've found that what guests expect from their stay has completely changed over the last 18 years. It's unbelievable.'
Adapting to Modern Expectations
The experienced B&B host, who now runs the establishment with just his wife, shares how two of the rooms originally had no bathroom and have since been removed to make the other bedrooms larger and they all now have ensuites. The guesthouse now boasts 10 bedrooms. 'People want that more when they travel. They want the space and they want high quality from their stay,' he adds.
Anthony and Larissa pay attention to the finer details, from ensuring they have locally sourced breakfast ingredients to the small 'personal touches' in the bedrooms. The pair make their own honey and jams, using fruit from a nearby farm, and even the walls are decorated with work from local artists. Southport Pier, in Merseyside, is only a 20-minute walk from Sunnyside B&B.
Anthony emphasises that 'it's not just about the kind of the room and kind of the fixtures and fittings in the room,' but the 'whole experience of their stay'.
Overcoming Industry Pressures
The hospitality industry faces a range of pressures - from increasing business rates, high cost of living and the possibility of an overnight tourist tax to contend with. So, how do the couple keep the costs down when running an award-winning bed and breakfast? Lots of hard work and long hours, according to Anthony.
'All the beekeeping and everything, we do put so many hours in, but when you're working doing a job that you love it doesn't feel like you're working lots of hours,' he explains. Things can get particularly busy in the summer, which is when Anthony occasionally puts in 19-hour shifts.
'Some days I can get up in the morning at six and go to bed at one o'clock in the morning. In the summer, sometimes that's what happens,' the B&B owner reveals. 'You're absolutely exhausted and you have to get up and do it again the next day.' However, Anthony says he works around 80 hours a week and usually 12 hours a day. He starts cooking breakfast at 7am and the couple aim to finish everything by 9pm, with some time in between to 'have a sit down'.
'But when you see people walking away and the memories they've created from their stay, that's really special to be involved with as well,' he adds.
What Matters Most to Guests
What really matters the most to a holidaymaker - whether it's a comfortable bed or a modern bathroom - varies on the individual. 'For a lot of guests, they spend most of their time in the bed asleep,' Anthony says, before adding 'it depends on the customer'. 'Some people love a really good breakfast, and they like a huge breakfast, so that's what we'll focus on,' Anthony says. He explains how other guests may have accessibility needs, so Sunnyside tries to accommodate for that the best they can in the rooms with additions like shower chairs or stick-on grab rails.
Overcoming Challenges
Running an award-winning business isn't an easy feat to achieve and plenty of challenges have cropped up for Anthony and Larissa along the way. 'Covid was really tough, we didn't know what was going to happen during that period,' says the businessman. Despite the uncertainties the pandemic brought, the couple used it as an opportunity to reassess how they were running the bed and breakfast.
The war between Iran and America/Israel is the most recent event to shake the travel industry, but this time, UK holiday companies seem to be benefitting as many Britons turn to booking staycations instead of risking flying overseas. For example, Airbnb reported a 15 per cent rise in searches for UK breaks compared to 2025. Meanwhile, bookings at Haven holiday parks rose 10 per cent over the Easter holidays compared to last year, while Sykes Holiday Cottages reported an 18 per cent rise for the period.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister warned people might rethink 'where they go on holiday this year' if the Iran war continues to impact airlines, which have already been raising fares and fees. For Sunnyside Bed and Breakfast, Anthony says it's 'hard to say' if their bookings have been affected by the conflict, but they did see a big spike at the beginning of the year.
'It's hard to say if it's pinpointed to be necessarily in relation to the conflict, but at the beginning of this year, we had a massive boom in bookings,' he reveals. Anthony explains how the spike could possibly be because of how many events are going on in Southport this year, from the British Open Golf to the annual flower show, as well as the guesthouse's recent awards. 'I think potentially it could have had an impact, but it's hard to tell,' he says.
