Luxury hotel’s butterfly conservation near Milton Keynes is shortlisted for prestigious award

Horwood House Hotel, a 4-star guest house in Little Horwood near Milton Keynes, has been shortlisted in the ‘Creative Excellence Award’ category at the Hotel Marketing Association Awards for creating its ‘Butterfly Resort’.

The country house hotel transformed part of its 38-acre estate into a miniature ‘resort’ for butterflies, during a campaign in summer of 2025. The tiny resort is designed to raise awareness of the decline in UK butterfly numbers while highlighting the hotel’s commitment to sustainability and community engagement.

More than 50 students aged six to 15 were invited to design and decorate the butterfly houses. The hotel worked with three schools on the project and around 20 structures were used to create the installation – which included miniature playgrounds, roads and even a football pitch.

Butterfly Conservation trustee Hugh Ellerton provided expert guidance on how the Butterfly Resort could best support the beloved pollinators.

The project was supported by Butterfly Conservation trustee Hugh Ellerton, who provided expert guidance on how the Butterfly Resort could best support the beloved pollinators.

The butterfly resort became a core part of the guest experience at Horwood House, with child guests receiving butterfly themed activity packs and conservation messaging being displayed around the venue.

Speaking on the shortlisting, Caroline Morrone, General Manager at Horwood House Hotel, said: “We are absolutely delighted to see Butterfly Resort recognised by the Hotel Marketing Association. This campaign is a wonderful example of what makes Horwood House so special – creativity, community and a genuine commitment to looking after our beautiful estate.”

The winners of the Hotel Marketing Association Awards will be announced on Monday, June 22 at a ceremony at The Waldorf Hilton London.