The Esplanade hotel was recognised by the awarding bodies for the hospitality sector – the AA and Enjoy England – to become the only four-star hotel on the Yorkshire Coast.

Around £6 million has been pumped into the property since 2004, an investment which has transformed the hotel.

Operations director David Chambers said: "We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded a four-star rating.

"It really is the icing on the cake for us and is the culmination of four years of hard work by our dedicated team.

"In early 2004 we made a clear decision to transform the hotel into the region's leading and most sophisticated destination for incoming and outgoing business and leisure travellers and I believe our four-star rating is a testimony to that – and justifies the £6 million investment that has gone into the property."

The Crown is one of the area's largest independently owned hotels and has been a leading venue and hotel for more than 160 years.

Directors Richard and David Frank said: "It is very important to us to keep building on our success and to provide our customers with the level of quality and service they have come to expect from the Crown Spa Hotel.

"We have dramatically increased our offering and set ourselves apart from other accommodation in the area.

"This is now truly complemented with being awarded the four-star status we have all worked so hard to attain.

"We would like to thank our customers, suppliers and partners for their support throughout this challenging journey."

Cllr David Jeffels, cabinet member for tourism and leisure, said the award was excellent news for the town as a whole.

He said: "Achieving four-star success has become increasingly difficult in recent years so the Crown's success is even more well deserved.

"It is another example of Scarborough's quality as a resort shining through and I am certain that with the massive investment we have seen and are continuing to see in our hotel industry, that there will soon be others enjoying this prestigious status."