These are the UK’s best hotels, restaurants and pubs

Welcoming more than 960 guests, the event shone a spotlight on the country’s most exceptional hotels, restaurants, spas, inns, and B&Bs, as well as the inspiring people behind them. Accolades were presented across 18 categories, including AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year, AA Sustainable Award, AA Spa Hotel of the Year and, brand new for 2025, the AA Rising Star Award.

Taking home one of the evening’s most prestigious accolades, Gareth Ward of Ynyshir has been named AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year 2025 (sponsored by Wellocks), an award voted for exclusively by his peers. Known for his bold, boundary-pushing approach to modern dining, Ward has transformed Ynyshir into one of the UK’s most exciting culinary destinations, combining Japanese influences with the finest Welsh produce.

Winner of AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year Award Gareth said of his win: “It’s super humbling – I’m blown away. My name has been up there a few times, but you don’t ever think you’re going to win it, but when you do, you have the most massive appreciation to the all the people in our beautiful industry. It means more as an award that has been voted by all my peers as we’re all in it together and we all have mutual respect for each other.”

The Rising Star Award,newly introduced this year, recognises individuals in hospitality who demonstrate exceptional promise and potential in their field. Nataliia Maiseionok, Sommelier at Fischer's Baslow Hall and winner of the AA Rising Star Award, relocated from Ukraine in 2022, arriving to the UK with limited English but extensive hospitality experience. She began her career as a waitress at Fischer’s Baslow Hall, working her way up to Sommelier through self-funded education.

On her win she said: “Winning this award means that I’ve been on the right path and the effort, dedication, and commitment I’ve invested in gaining knowledge in a field I’m truly passionate about has not been in vain. I feel genuinely at home in this profession, and while there is still so much more to learn, this only adds to the joy because for a true explorer, discovery is the greatest reward.

I see this not as the final destination, but as a powerful step forward.”

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, praised the UK’s hospitality sector for its resilience and innovative spirit in 2025: "This celebration highlights the passion, creativity and resilience that define UK hospitality. The teams have turned challenges into opportunities, inspiring us with their innovation and dedication. Congratulations to all winners, nominees and new Rosette holders – your achievements deserve recognition today and set a shining example for the future of our industry.”

Since introducing the star rating system in 1912, the AA has championed quality by celebrating the people and places that set new benchmarks in hospitality. Today, the AA Hospitality Awards stand as the industry’s most prestigious accolade, highlighting creativity, commitment and excellence that define the UK’s hotels, restaurants, inns, and B&Bs. Year after year, these awards continue to raise the bar, recognising those who inspire the future of hospitality while honouring its very best.

All of 2025’s restaurant award winners and new Rosette holders feature in the AA Restaurant Guide 2026.The guide showcases the very best restaurants across the UK and is the food lover’s definitive guide to enjoying the finest cuisine the country has to offer. Get your copy on Amazon (£17.99).

AA Hospitality Awards – 2025 winners

Chefs’ Chef of the Year