THE GOOD HOTEL GUIDE, ANNOUNCES BRITAIN AND IRELAND’S BEST HOTELS 2026

The Good Hotel Guide, the only genuinely independent hotel guide in the UK, has revealed the winners of its 2026 César Awards. These 21 ‘Oscars of the UK hotel industry’, inspired by Swiss hotelier César Ritz, recognise the hotels, inns and B&Bs that set the benchmark for their category.

This year’s 21 winners include a pub with its own brewery, spa and farm shop; a former artists’ haunt whose guests included Claude Monet and Oscar Wilde; a new foodie hotel from King of the High Street George Davies; a stately home that housed Louis XVIII and the French court in exile, where they kept chickens on the roof; and a refurbished Georgian merchant’s house that now offers a home away from home that visitors rave about.

The Editor’s Choice Awards were also announced, highlighting properties that excel across 13 categories, including B&B, Pubs with Rooms, Hotels for Dogs, and a Historic Hotel category, which has been reintroduced this year.

The awards were presented by the renowned hotelier and television personality Alex Polizzi, who stars in Channel 5’s popular The Hotel Inspector. Her Alfriston hotel, The Star, was awarded the Best Hotel for Walkers César at the ceremony. As a hotel owner herself, Alex fully appreciates the challenges that hoteliers face on a day-to-day basis, and she shared some of her insights with small hotel owners and operators earlier in the day.

Alex commented, “We are so delighted that The Star received this award. Running a hotel has never been easy and these are particularly challenging times for the industry. The Good Hotel Guide is a great network for smaller hotels, and it is important for us to focus on how we need to adapt so that we can support each other effectively. The essential thing to remember is that our customers are king. We have to give people a reason to spend their money with us rather than elsewhere. While good design is important, service is what makes great hospitality.

Congratulations to all this year’s winners who have shown standout qualities to their guests.”

Jane Knight, editor of The Good Hotel Guide, adds, “Our 2026 winners’ list highlights the dedication and passion of small independent hoteliers who consistently work to put the guest experience at the core of everything they do. We are particularly thrilled that Alex Polizzi shared her valuable insights before presenting the awards. Her commitment to excellence in the hospitality industry mirrors the Guide’s core values.”

 

The latest version of The Good Hotel Guide features more than 700 hotels, inns and B&Bs, with 58 new entries for 2026, and is now available online.

The editorial team is headed up by Jane Knight, former travel editor of The Times. Readers of the guide play a crucial role by reporting on existing entries as well as recommending new discoveries, which is complemented by GHG inspections.

For further information about César 2026 winners and Editor’s Choice 2026 winners, please visit goodhotelguide.com

*Best Historic Hotel has been introduced this year in partnership with Britain magazine.