AA Hotel & Hospitality Services has revealed the winners of its 2026 awards, honouring the exceptional accomplishments of British hospitality professionals.
Celebrating 70 years of the AA Rosette award, close to 1,000 guests gathered at JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London for one of the most prestigious evenings in the hospitality calendar.
The awards recognise the hospitality industry’s incredible people, hotels, restaurants, spas, inns and B&Bs, as well as the teams behind the scenes, who are setting the standard for hospitality excellence across the sector.
Leading chef, Adam Byatt of Trinity Restaurant was voted by his fellow AA Rosette-holding chefs as the AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year 2026 (sponsored by Woods Foodservice). Through his creativity and innovation, Adam has become known for his classically rooted seasonal cooking, with a focus on bold, honest flavours. At Trinity, this translates into an imaginative, distinctive culinary style that reflects the very best of who Adam is.
Simon Numphud, Managing Director of AA Hotel & Hospitality Services said:
“The AA Hospitality Awards exist to recognise the passion, dedication and high standards that go into delivering exceptional hospitality, and this year’s winners are a wonderful example of that. These awards recognise incredible people in our industry who care deeply about what they do to give their guests the very best experience.
“That commitment to excellence is what sets British hospitality apart and underpins its world-renowned reputation. Congratulations to all the winners, nominees and new Rosette holders. It is a privilege to celebrate their achievements.”
AA Hospitality Awards – 2026 winners
AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year
- Adam Byatt of Trinity Restaurant, London
AA Lifetime Achievement Award
- David Morgan-Hewitt of The Goring, London
AA Outstanding Contribution Award
- Adam Terpening, Charity Director for Room to Reward
AA Restaurant of the Year
- England – The Star Inn, Harome, North Yorkshire
- London – AngloThai, London
- Wales – The Walnut Tree Inn, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
- Scotland – Swadish by Ajay Kumar, Glasgow, Glasgow City
AA Group of the Year
- The Celtic Collection, Newport, South Wales
AA Hotel of the Year
- London – The Emory, London
- England – Calcot & Spa, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
- Scotland – Crossbasket Castle, High Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
- Wales – Porth Tocyn Hotel, Abersoch, Gwynedd
- Northern Ireland – Culloden Estate & Spa, Holywood, County Down
AA Small Hotel Group of the Year
- Firmdale Hotels, London
AA Small Hotel Team of the Year
- Knockendarroch Hotel & Restaurant, Pitlochry, Perthshire
AA Large Hotel Team of the Year
- St. Ermin’s Hotel, London
AA Wine Award
- England and Overall – etch. by Steven Edwards, Brighton, East Sussex
- Wales – The Jackdaw, Conwy, Conwy County Borough
- Scotland – Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway
AA Rising Star of the Year
- IIona Harris, Cromlix, Kinbuck, Stirling
AA Housekeeper of the Year
- Katarzyna Celinska, The Bloomsbury, London
AA Sustainable Restaurant of the Year
- The Black Swan at Oldstead, Oldstead, North Yorkshire
AA Inn of the Year
- The Penny Bun, Otley, West Yorkshire
AA B&B of the Year
- Lys-Na-Greyne, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire
AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year
- House of George W. Davies, Broadway, Worcestershire
AA Spa Hotel of the Year
- Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews, Fife
AA Sustainable Award
- Malmaison & Hotel du Vin, Nationwide
AA College Restaurant of the Year
- The Classroom, Cardiff & Vale College, Cardiff
New 4 Rosettes
- Frog by Adam Handling, London
- Hide and Fox, Hythe, Kent
- Ikoyi, London
- Inver, Strathlachlan, Argyll and Bute
- LI~LY by Aiden Byrne, Knutsford, Cheshire
- The Cocochine, London
New 3 Rosettes
- AngloThai, London
- Daise by Tony Parkin, Wirral, Merseyside
- FERN, Nanstallon, Cornwall
- Flavour, Tarbert, Western Isles
- KYND at Hampton Manor, Solihull, West Midlands
- Langar Hall Hotel, Langar, Nottinghamshire
- Lofft, Cardiff
- Luna Omakase, London
- Orrery by Pierre Minotti, London
- Restaurant Elm, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
- S?-l? Restaurant, Aughton, Lancashire
- St Barts, London
- The Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, Bath, Somerset
- The Gunroom Restaurant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd
- Tom Brown at The Capital, London
New 5 Red Stars
- Ashford Castle, Cong, County Mayo
- Langdale Chase, Windermere, Cumbria
- The Chancery Rosewood, London
- The Emory, London
New 4 Red Stars
- Holmes Hotel, London
- Penmaenuchaf Dolgellau, Dolgellau, Gwynedd
The full list of this year’s AA Hospitality Awards winners can be found on the AA’s Rated Trips website here
All of 2026’s restaurant award winners and new Rosette holders feature in the AA Restaurant Guide 2027, a definitive guide showcasing the finest cuisine the UK has to offer.
The AA Hospitality Awards would also like to thank their sponsors; Matthew Clark Bibendum, People 1st, eviivo, IHS & Maes, RAW Charging, The Fork, Taittinger, Cobra, Venners, St Ewes, Johnsons Hotel Linen, Sky, Sealy, RAK, Clockwork Marketing, Taylors of Harrogate, La Bottega collective, Umbrella Training, World Pay, Caterer.com, Woods Foodservice, James Hallam, Chabé.
