The owners of a Sussex castle have won an award for excellence.

Martin and Joy Cummings run Amberley Castle, the country house hotel near Arundel, which celebrates its 900th anniversary next year.

They were recognised for their hospitality at the Conde Nast Johansens'

awards dinner.

Mr and Mrs Cummings first turned around the fortunes of the King's Arms Inn at Cookham-on-Thames in Berkshire, followed by The Inn on the Lake, near Godalming in Surrey, where they won two national hotel awards.

Over the past 14 years, they have transformed Amberley Castle from a cold and empty, fortified manor house into one of Britain's most celebrated, award-winning country house hotels.

The castle has an ecclesiastical history and was once leased by Elizabeth I.

In 1988, Mr and Mrs Cummings paid £2 million for the castle and some of its unusual fittings, including antique swords, guns and cannons and a resident ghost, Emily.

A new book, written by former broadcaster David Arscott, is to be given to guests at the hotel next year as a pillow gift.

Amberley Castle - A Celebration of 900 Years was commissioned by Mr and Mrs Cummings to commemorate the anniversary and tells the history of the castle.

It also describes the nightmare years that followed its purchase to turn it into a hotel and restaurant.

The late Eighties property boom, high interest rates and negative equity, the Gulf War and recession took their toll and in 1994, a major fire in the hotel kitchen threatened the future of the business. But hard work, determination and belief carried the new owners through.

Their secret was to continue to plough profits back into the business, improving the castle's facilities year by year and harnessing their complementary talents.

Joy, a former BOAC stewardess with training in catering, concentrated on the refurbishment and interior design.

Martin, who served in the Royal Navy and learnt his management skills at the John Lewis Partnership, focused on structural and financial management.

As a keen gardener, he also masterminded relandscaping of the gardens and the creation of lakes and outdoor amenities.