The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay
The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay awards celebrate the hotels, guesthouses, and retreats that define excellence in hospitality. From luxury escapes to family-friendly gems, the awards spotlight destinations that deliver unforgettable experiences.
Celebrating Britain’s best hotels and retreats
The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay awards are the ultimate mark of distinction for the hospitality industry, celebrating the hotels, guesthouses, and retreats that set the bar for excellence. From boutique hideaways to grand destinations, these awards spotlight exceptional places that offer more than just a stay – they create unforgettable experiences.
Open to establishments across a range of categories, from luxury escapes and romantic getaways to family-friendly stays and sustainable tourism, the awards recognise those who go above and beyond to delight their guests. Whether it’s impeccable service, innovative design, or a commitment to sustainability, The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay celebrates the very best in hospitality.
Winners have the exclusive opportunity to license The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay logo – a globally trusted symbol of quality and credibility – for use in their marketing and promotional materials. Featured coverage in The Sunday Times enhances visibility, connecting winners with discerning travellers seeking the finest experiences.
This is your chance to showcase your property and let it shine as one of the very best. Enter The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay and let your destination take its place among the most celebrated names in hospitality.
Benefits of Participation
Inclusion in The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay delivers both reputational and business-growth opportunities:
Credibility
& DistinctionGaining recognition in a Times / Sunday Times curated list marks your property as among the very best in hospitality, elevating reputation with guests, peers, and media.
Marketing
OpportunitiesWinners can license the official “Best Places to Stay” logo — a trusted seal you can feature in your promotions, website, brochures, and booking channels.
Editorial
ExposureInclusion often comes with coverage in The Sunday Times travel pages, digital features, and partner platforms, amplifying visibility among discerning travellers.
Guest Trust
& Conversion:Prospective guests see the award as a signal of excellence and quality, which can boost booking confidence and drive higher occupancy or yield.
Award Categories
For 2025, categories include the following (names may vary year to year):
- Affordable: Great-value stays delivering quality without the high price tag.
- Beach: Coastal hotels and retreats with standout seaside appeal.
- Blow-the-Budget: Luxurious, once-in-a-lifetime escapes.
- Boutique: Stylish, design-led properties with character and charm.
- City: Top urban stays for culture, business, and short breaks.
- Countryside: Rural gems offering nature, space, and serenity.
- Disruptor: Innovative concepts shaking up the hospitality scene.
- Family-Friendly: Properties that make travelling with children effortless.
- Foodie: Stays where dining is a destination in itself.
- One-to-Watch: New or rising stars set for big things.
- Pub Stay: Characterful inns and pubs with memorable rooms.
- Romantic: Intimate boltholes perfect for couples’ escapes.
- Sports: Hotels excel at active pursuits and facilities.
How to Enter
The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay list is editorially curated, not a pay-to-enter award.
- Understand the selection process: Properties are chosen by The Times & Sunday Times travel reviewers, who stay at hundreds of places each year and curate the final list. There is no formal entry form.
- Share news with the travel desk: Make your property easy to discover—keep your media kit, high-res images, and press updates current, and send noteworthy news to the editorial team via the official contact channels.
- Facilitate review visits (by invitation): If a reviewer gets in touch, coordinate dates and access. Coverage and inclusion remain entirely at the editors’ discretion and are not guaranteed.
- Provide post-visit information: If requested, supply fact-checks, rates, sustainability details, dining information, and image permissions to support editorial accuracy.
- Licence the logo: If selected, you may licence The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay logo for use in marketing communications.
Frequently asked questions
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Contact usRequest access to this award
Congratulations on being listed in The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay.
To celebrate and maximise your success, we are delighted to offer a special marketing package which consists of the official awards logo.
Please complete the form to request access to logo license options. Your request will be reviewed by our team and if approved, you will receive a notification with access details via email. If you do not receive a notification within 24 hours, please call us on 020 7711 7826.