Gold Leaf Ceilings and a £15k Spa - The Emory wins London's top AA hotel gong

Fancy a sleepover? The Emory in Belgravia has been named London's best hotel in the AA's 2026 awards, Time Out reports. The AA praised its "fresh expression of luxury".

Opened in 2024, The Emory was London's first all-suite hotel. All 61 residences come with separate living spaces, and many look out over Hyde Park. Dinner is at ABC Kitchens from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, with New York-inspired plates like pretzel-crusted calamari and Dover sole tacos. The rooftop bar is listed in the Pinnacle Guide.

Then there's the spa. Surrenne sits underground with a 72ft pool under a ceiling of gold leaf, plus a Finnish sauna, steam room and a hydrogen bath. Non-guests can join, as long as they're happy to pay £15,000 for the first year. The hotel also holds a Michelin Key, and rooms start at around £1,000 a night.

So what? For most of us this is a lottery-win daydream, but a rooftop drink is a cheaper way in. For hospo pros, The Emory shows where top-end hotels are heading: suites over rooms, wellness as a selling point and a big-name chef downstairs. Front of house at this level is a serious CV booster.