The results of the AA Hospitality Awards 2026-27 are in, celebrating some of the very best hotels, restaurants and hospitality businesses across the UK. Naturally, we wanted to know which of this year’s winners you can actually visit with your dog.
The good news? Four of the five hotels named Hotel of the Year are dog friendly, alongside several other winners recognised for everything from their spas to their restaurants and hotel teams.
Here are the award-winning stays where your dog can come too…
Calcot & Spa, Gloucestershire
Winner: AA Hotel of the Year – England
This one might already be familiar to DOG readers. Just last month, we featured Calcot’s new dog friendly treehouses and now the wider hotel has been named the AA Hotel of the Year for England.
Set within 220 acres of Cotswolds countryside near Tetbury, Calcot Manor & Spa combines a luxury country escape with an impressive spa, restaurants and plenty of space to explore.
The recently launched treehouses are particularly interesting for dog owners, with selected stays welcoming four-legged guests and offering a rather special way to experience the Cotswolds.
Read next: We featured Calcot’s new dog friendly treehouses last month
The Emory, London
Winner: AA Hotel of the Year – London
At the rather more extravagant end of the scale, The Emory in Belgravia has been named London’s AA Hotel of the Year.
The all-suite hotel overlooks Hyde Park and opened in 2024, with interiors created by a collection of internationally renowned designers. It’s also received another major AA accolade for 2026, joining the small collection of hotels awarded 5 Red Stars.
Dogs are welcome, making this one to know if you’re looking for a seriously luxurious dog friendly stay in the capital.
Crossbasket Castle, South Lanarkshire
Winner: AA Hotel of the Year – Scotland
Scotland’s Hotel of the Year is another one where your dog can join you.
Crossbasket Castle sits within extensive grounds beside the River Calder, around nine miles from Glasgow. The historic castle has been transformed into a luxury hotel, combining grand interiors, fine dining and countryside surroundings.
Better still, all of the hotel’s rooms are dog friendly, with a bed and bowls provided when you let the team know you’re bringing your dog. There’s currently a £20 charge per dog, although dogs aren’t permitted in the restaurants unless you’re dining on the outdoor terrace.
Porth Tocyn Hotel, Abersoch
Winner: AA Hotel of the Year – Wales
Wales’ Hotel of the Year is dog friendly too. Porth Tocyn is an independently owned country house hotel overlooking Cardigan Bay, close to Abersoch on the Llŷn Peninsula. With the coast, beaches and Welsh countryside nearby, this is perhaps one of the most naturally appealing winners for a getaway with your dog.
Most of the hotel’s rooms welcome dogs, currently for a £20 charge per dog, per stay. There are some restrictions once you’re inside – dogs aren’t allowed in the dining room, bar or main sitting rooms – but there is a separate tiled sitting room where they can join you, as well as the outside terrace and gardens.
Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
Winner: AA Hotel Spa of the Year
Sitting alongside the famous Old Course in St Andrews, the five-star Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa has been named AA Hotel Spa of the Year.
Its Kohler Waters Spa is a major part of the experience, while the hotel itself has 175 rooms and suites and several places to eat and drink.
Despite its reputation as a golfing and spa destination, dogs can come too. Selected bedrooms are dog friendly, currently charged at £35 per dog, per night, and dogs are also welcome in some public areas. They can even join you at Hams Hame and on the Jigger Inn patio.
The House of George W. Davies, Broadway
Winner: AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year
It’s not just the AA’s Hotels of the Year where dogs are welcome. The House of George W. Davies in Broadway was named AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year, combining three guest bedrooms with contemporary dining in the Cotswolds.
This is another particularly interesting one for us, with the AA itself highlighting the property’s dog friendly hospitality as part of its description of the winner.
If you’re looking for somewhere that puts the food at the heart of a dog friendly getaway, this could be one to add to the list.
St Ermin’s Hotel, London
Winner: AA Large Hotel Team of the Year
Just moments from St James’s Park, St Ermin’s Hotel picked up the award for AA Large Hotel Team of the Year.
The London hotel is particularly well placed for dog owners thanks to its Westminster location, with St James’s Park just a five-minute walk away and Green Park and Hyde Park also within easy reach.
St Ermin’s describes itself as a dog friendly London hotel and has a selection of dedicated dog friendly rooms. It even has its own ‘Canine Concierge’ guide to nearby walks and attractions for four-legged guests.
Knockendarroch Hotel, Pitlochry
Winner: AA Small Hotel Team of the Year
Knockendarroch Hotel in Pitlochry is another of this year’s winners that allows dogs. However, it’s also a good example of why it’s worth looking beyond the words ‘dog friendly’ and checking exactly what that means before booking.
Dogs are only accepted in the Garden Rooms of Larch House by prior arrangement and aren’t permitted in any part of the main hotel. They’re also not allowed to be exercised within the hotel grounds. If you’re heading into the hotel for breakfast or dinner, dogs can only be left in your bedroom if they’re in a crate. Otherwise, the hotel’s policy asks that they are left in your car.
There’s currently a £20 per dog, per night charge. It’s certainly a restrictive dog policy, so not one that we would recommend. However, it is technically dog friendly, so we thought it was only fair that it got a mention.
Four out of five Hotels of the Year are dog friendly
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this year’s awards is just how well represented dog friendly hotels are at the very top. Four of the five hotels named AA Hotel of the Year welcome dogs, alongside several other winners across the awards.
It’s a promising sign that travelling with a dog doesn’t have to mean compromising on the quality of your stay – although, as always, we’d recommend checking the individual dog policy before booking to make sure it works for you and your dog.
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