A WEST Dorset aquarium has been praised for consistent high standards of customer service.

Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium has been recognised as a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence hall of fame winner. The award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is handed out to businesses that consistently achieve great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor.

The hall of fame honours those businesses which have earned a certificate of excellence for five years in a row.

Aquarium owner Max Gollop believes the secret to the attraction's success is the interactive element of a visit.

"We constantly strive to offer a great experience for all our visitors" he said. "We differentiate ourselves from our larger aquarium counterparts by offering an interactive and tactile dimension to a visit.

"Not only do visitors get to see the marine life which can be found in local waters, they have the opportunity to hold a starfish in the palm of their hand and have their picture taken while being up close with a giant lobster or crab. Our mullet feeding experience is truly unique where visitors lower their clenched hand containing food into a large tank of grey mullet, then marvel as these wonderfully tame creatures gently take food directly from the hand.

"We also go that extra mile to make all visitors feel welcome and provide a personal service with either myself or one of my knowledgeable staff being available to answer any questions and give further insight into the creatures on display".

To qualify for the award, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

Mr Gollop said he was proud the aquarium had been given a place in the hall of fame.

He said: "Being awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence five years in a row and inducted into the hall of fame is a true source of pride for the entire team at Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium.

"We'd like to thank all of our past visitors who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor."

Marc Charron, President of TripAdvisor for Business, said: "Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years is a remarkable feat.

"By putting a spotlight on businesses that are focused on consistently delivering great service to customers, TripAdvisor not only helps drive an improvement to hospitality standards around the world, it also gives businesses both large and small the ability to shine and stand out from the competition.”