AA HOSPITALITY AWARDS – Last night's glittering awards ceremony at London's Marriott Grosvenor House, saw Iconic Luxury Hotels receive the special award of '2022-23 AA Small Hotel Group of the Year'. The awards, hosted by Gabby Logan, are the AA's ultimate accolade for hotels in the UK and is presented to hotels that are recognised as being outstanding examples in their particular market.

Iconic Luxury Hotels (ILH) is an eclectic collection of exceptional world-class hotels, with personalities as distinctly individual as its guests. Distinguished, authentic and intriguing, the collection includes Cliveden House, one of England's finest country estates, Chewton Glen a quintessentially British country house on the South Coast, The Lygon Arms, a 14th century coaching inn in the Cotswolds, 11 Cadogan Gardens in Chelsea, one of London's most prestigious residential areas and The Mayfair Townhouse, London a new high-end neighbourhood hotel.

In a decade Iconic Luxury Hotels has grown from one outstanding country house hotel to a collection of remarkable properties with an international reputation for excellence, luxury, and service.  At its heart is a team that has quadrupled to over 900 team members across all hotels. Without doubt its remarkable team's ability and skills to transform a visit into an outstanding and memorable experience, is virtually impossible to measure. Winning this prestigious award is a tribute to every member of the ILH team, it is an absolute recognition of their passion and enthusiasm, their team spirit and sense of fun, of working hard to achieve what at sometimes feels impossible to obtain but delivering a level of genuine hospitality that makes its guests want to return time and time again.

Iconic Luxury Hotels has grown steadily over the past years, even with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the hospitality industry, the business model has been highly effective. Acquisitions have been made that strengthen the Collection and provide opportunities to elevate guest experience based on a sound business model. Huge efforts have also been made to strengthen the team, provide opportunities and education for those starting their career in hospitality, and those who wish to further develop their career opportunities. Highly effective operational systems and constant improvements in technology underpin the delivery of hotel services to guests.

Although all the hotels operate individually, the management structure of Iconic Luxury Hotels gives great strength and purpose to each property's individual goals and objectives.  It enables them to aim higher in terms of guest experience, purchasing power, development, training, and innovation than would normally be possible. The continued development of ILH's Corporate Society Responsibility targets and its emerging Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance criteria, will also ensure success in attaining sustainability targets in the future.

ILH ownership brings the resource of vast business and management expertise and success, both nationally and internationally, and this attracts a high calibre of team members who appreciate the intuitive and flexible approach to achieving goals and targets, they can be confident that working as part of the ILH team ensures their integrity is respected and the benefits of strong teamwork are recognised.

With a vision to curate a collection of unique hotels who deliver commercial success, harnessing the passionate hospitality excellence of its team and the visionary management and transformational leadership of its ownership, a clear simple purpose and goal has been identified, which is to make every guest want to return and to make every member of the team want to stay.

Commenting on the award Andrew Stembridge, Executive Director of Iconic Luxury Hotels said: “Although a decade in the making, Iconic Luxury Hotels as a hotel collection is a mere five years old and therefore, I couldn't be prouder to have collected the 'AA Small Hotel Group of the Year 2022-23' award this evening, with many of my longstanding senior team by my side and in front of the 'great and good' of the hospitality industry. Although each of our individual properties is undoubtedly familiar with the recognition and prestige that comes with an array of accolades, this particular award is a significant milestone for us as a collective and testament to our 900 strong team, whose shared Iconic DNA, ensures that we constantly deliver exceptional experiences for our guests and team alike. With clear aspirations to grow the Iconic Luxury Hotels brand over the coming months, this award represents a wonderful recognition, which we are immensely grateful for”.

For further press information, please contact: 

J Public Relations

Email: iconic@jpublicrelations.com                                 ,

Tel: 07562 819994   

For further press information on Iconic Luxury Hotels, please contact: 

Angela Day

Head of Public Relations

Iconic Luxury Hotels

Email: angela@iconicluxuryhotels.com                                                   ,

Tel: 01304 617755   

ABOUT ICONIC LUXURY HOTELS

Iconic Luxury Hotels was founded in December 2016, and is part of L+R Hotels (landrhotels.com) - a highly motivated family owned global hotel investment and management company - who have an extensive portfolio of over 105 hotels, with approximately 21,000 bedrooms. Iconic Luxury Hotels is an expanding collection with an international focus. The collection is comprised of an eclectic array of properties which all celebrate their distinct architecture, cultural heritage and natural surroundings.

Each property has its own character, traditions, and stories but they share a common commitment to delivering outstanding experiences. The current portfolio includes some of the world's most famous hotels from Cliveden House, one of England's finest country estates, to the Hotel Excelsior in Italy which is the home of the Venice International Film Festival. The other UK hotels are comprised of Chewton Glen an English estate on the South Coast, The Lygon Arms a 14th Century Coaching Inn in the Cotswolds, 11 Cadogan Gardens in Chelsea, one of London's most prestigious residential areas and The Mayfair Townhouse, London that opened in late 2020. 

CHEWTON GLEN is a five-red star privately-owned luxury country house hotel, located on the edge of the ancient New Forest National Park in Hampshire and just a few minutes' walk from the sea. A member of Relais & Châteaux, this family-friendly resort features an award-winning restaurant, world-class spa and leisure activities, luxurious accommodation and modern meeting facilities and a Children Club. The hotel has 72 individually designed bedrooms and suites including 14 tree-house suites, a nine-hole par three golf course, croquet lawn, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a spa which has been voted the best in Europe and a purpose-built cookery school, bakery and informal restaurant opened in association with James Martin.

CLIVEDEN HOUSE is a five-star luxury hotel; the building is owned by the National Trust and operated under a long lease arrangement by Iconic Luxury Hotels. Less than 45 minutes west of London and 20 minutes from London Heathrow Airport, the hotel has 47 spacious rooms and suites in the main mansion plus Spring Cottage, a summerhouse on the banks of the River Thames, together with boathouse and boats, luxurious spa and a range of sporting and leisure facilities. The Cliveden Dining Room is complemented by the relaxed informality of The Astor Grill, together with a range of private dining, banqueting, and meeting facilities. A member of Relais & Châteaux, Cliveden is unique, the setting, architecture and interiors all speak eloquently of extraordinary extravagance and remarkable refinement. There is a palpable sense of history for this is a house that for well over 350 years has been dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure, power, and politics.

THE MAYFAIR TOWNHOUSE is a new high-end neighbourhood hotel overlooking London's Green Park. Curious, engaging, witty - The Mayfair Townhouse delivers the unexpected and redefines what it means to be a London hotel. Part of Iconic Luxury Hotels, this is the fifth hotel in the portfolio and offers an unexpected new personality from what the brand is traditionally known for - think: Oscar Wilde meets Alice in Wonderland. Bringing a new lifestyle product into one of London's most distinguished neighbourhoods - The Mayfair Townhouse is the new charismatic 'kid on the block' - a product that has never been experienced in Mayfair. A carefully stylish, imaginative home for the modern traveller - the essence of the new Townhouse invites discerning travellers who appreciate an intuitive, perceptive level of service and a guest who above all, has a refined palette for curiosity.

At the heart and soul of the Townhouse is the aptly named Dandy Bar, inspired by the dandy characters of Mayfair's past and present, The Dandy Bar is a theatrical, subtlety lit, sophisticated bar where you will find eclectic signature drinks and an extensive curated list of cocktails, that can be enjoyed throughout the day, paired with smaller shareable plates. The Dandy Bar has the essence of a private club, without the frills of membership. Free from the constraints and traditions of a regular hotel, there is no room at The Mayfair Townhouse that has not been thoughtfully curated. The hotel bridges the gap between ritzy high-end lavish hotels and the corporate enterprise properties that currently stand in Mayfair.

THE LYGON ARMS situated within the idyllic Cotswolds village of Broadway in Worcestershire lies the four-star Lygon Arms. With roots dating back to the 14th century, The Lygon Arms is steeped in history, and reminders of the vast Tudor influence are visibly appreciated in the superb restoration of original features. The Lygon Arms boasts two new restaurants in addition to a variety of relaxed lounges, meeting spaces, a dedicated afternoon tearoom and a summer alfresco courtyard. Alongside this is the luxurious Lygon Spa and 86 guest rooms, including the regally appointed Charles I suite. The next chapter at The Lygon Arms has recently been crafted as homage to its origins and gateway to its future standing. Today the Lygon Arms displays quintessentially Cotswolds and timeless design, and offers the highest standards of service, gastronomy, and comfort, whilst keeping the piece of history that makes The Lygon Arms unique.

11 CADOGAN GARDENS is owned by Cadogan, whose estate spans 93 acres of Chelsea and Knightsbridge. Built by Lord Chelsea in the late 19th century and originally comprised of four separate Victorian town houses, 11 Cadogan Gardens is Relais & Châteaux's only London hotel, located in the heart of Chelsea. Throughout its many corridors, the boutique property has 56 guest rooms, including 25 suites that have been designed to be as memorable as they are luxurious, and each completely different. The terrace and conservatory provide the ultimate sunny haven to experience a quintessentially British afternoon tea, whilst the newly launched Hans' Bar and Grill is perfect for a brief elevenses meet up or intimate late-night dinner. Graced with a traditional Victorian façade and rich in history, heritage, and intrigue, 11 Cadogan Gardens is an unmistakable hotel not to be missed.

2021 saw the opening of The Apartments by 11 Cadogan Gardens, a newly renovated six-storey historic townhouse, which offers a completely new style of accommodation to the hotels existing rooms and suites. Consisting of six fully serviced one, two or three-bedroom elegant residences with the discretion, comfort, and security of a private apartment, they provide a tranquil home-away-from-home for guests looking to experience the best the capital has to offer.