The Inn at Willow Grove voted top resort hotel in the South

The Inn at Willow Grove was recently recognized by Travel and Leisure magazine as the top resort hotel in the South.

This is the second time in three years that it's received the honor.

Matthew Scibal, general manager of the Inn at Willow Grove, said receiving the honor in New York was a great experience.

"It's a true recognition and accomplishment of all of the hard work our staff does and our guest experience is unique and our staff is really what drives that," said Scibal.

The hotel's focus on personalization is what Scibal believes makes it so unique.

"We want our staff to know our guests, we want our guests to know our staff, and we try to go out of our way to make their experience enjoyable and relaxing," he said.

Even though the hotel is located in a rural area, Scibal believes that this is what makes the hotel such an exciting getaway through their motto "Escape, Unwind and Indulge."

"Given our location in Virginia in a rural area, we want people to come out of the city and escape to something completely different, which I think Orange County completely offers," said Scibal. "Unwind, that's the whole point of coming to a resort is to relax and give them multiple opportunities to whether it’s here on the property or in the local area to explore and indulge in all the experiences we have to offer."

Serving up southern hospitality is what he believes makes the hotel stand above the competition.

"We don't view our customers as a transaction," said Scibal. "We view them as family. We're welcoming them into our home. We want them to come and enjoy it and relax. From the moment they call us, not have to do anything but to show up and we take care of the rest."

Even though the hotel now has two trophies, it doesn't plan on scaling back or growing complacent when it comes to providing a great atmosphere for visitors.

"We want to continue to provide an excellent experience. Winning something like this, it puts a target on our back," said Scibal. "So we have to perform, we want to perform and make sure we are worthy of the honor."