The Independent Hotel Show, taking place on 16-17 October at Olympia London, has unveiled the shortlist for the 11th annual Independent Hotel Show Awards, in partnership with Preferred Hotels & Resorts.  

Launched to celebrate excellence in the world of boutique and independent hotels, the awards recognise prominent hotel and promising hoteliers in two categories: Independent Hotel of the Year and GM of the Future, sponsored by The Master Innholders. 

After several hours of discussion and debate, the shortlist for Independent Hotel of the Year was whittled down to a final eight from over 100 entries.  

Jane Pendlebury, awards judge and Chief Executive of HOSPA, commented: “It was an absolute pleasure and honour to judge the awards, albeit a challenging process! With an impressive number and standard of entries, whittling them down was enormously difficult – especially given the diversity of properties in the mix. From urban to rural, boutique to large, we saw the full spectrum of hospitality on display.  

“Given the high quality of the entries received, those who have made the shortlist can feel very proud, knowing that, should they win, they'll be a very worthy winner – with making the shortlist a significant achievement in itself.” 

The finalists are:  

• Aviator, Farnborough  

• Grove Of Narberth, Pembrokeshire  

• Ness Walk, Inverness  

• The Atlantic, Jersey  

• The Cottage In The Wood, Malvern  

• The Fish Hotel, Worcestershire  

• The Grand, York  

• The Headland, Newquay 

Stuart Procter, COO at The Stafford Collection and winner of 2022’s Independent Hotelier of the Year Award, added: “I’m delighted to have been a part of the judging panel for this year’s Independent Hotel Show Awards. The quality of nominations was outstanding, with entries from people and hotels at the top of their game and I think we have been able to select those who really embody the best of the best in the independent hotel industry.” 

The Independent Hotel of the Year Award is now open to public industry vote, with the ultimate winner decided through a combination of judges ranking and the public vote and unveiled in an exclusive ceremony on day one of the Independent Hotel Show on 16 October. 

The winner of GM of the Future, in partnership with The Master Innholders, will also be announced at the show. 

The finalists are: 

• Leanne Silavant, Front Office Manager, The Castle Hotel 

• Daisy Turney, Operations Manager, The PIG-on the beach 

• Niek de Rijcke, Guest Experience Coordinator, Dorchester Collection 

• Jordan Hughes, Hotel Manager, Northcote Hotel Ltd 

• Chiara Sorrentine, Operations Manager, Exclusive Hotels 

• Chris Bancroft, Operations Manager, The Newt in Somerset 

• Daniel Greenock, Restaurant Manager, Gleneagles 

The winner will have the opportunity to undertake the prestigious Talent Development Programme at Cranfield University, Buckinghamshire, helping them to develop their skills as both a GM and as a business leader. 

In addition, winner will receive a complimentary ticket to the Hotel Leadership Conference in 2024. 

Dan Rose-Bristow MI, Chair of the Master Innholders said: “A hotel is nothing without its general manager, yet having the skills and training to become one in our current climate is far from an easy task. Providing young talent with the opportunities to pursue their career goals, such as through the GM of the Future award, is just one of the many ways we aim to help support those within the industry. 

“It has also been immensely encouraging and humbling to see so many people from across the sector apply and wanting to pursue a career as a general manager. Narrowing down the candidates was a challenging task, but we are confident that all the finalists are on a promising path to becoming successful hoteliers.” 

Cast your vote for the winner of Independent Hotel of the Year at independenthotelshow.co.uk/awards and register for your complimentary trade ticket to this year’s show.