The Brit List 2025: the interior designers and hoteliers shaping the next era of UK luxury hospitality
- Merna Atef
- Jan 24
- 3 min read
The most useful thing about The Brit List 2025 is that it doesn’t treat luxury hospitality as “pretty rooms.” It frames luxury as an operating model: design that performs commercially, service that scales, and experiences that earn revenue beyond the bedroom.
That’s why the 2025 edition matters for the UK market. At The Brit List Awards 2025 (held 5 November at Ministry of Sound, London), Hotel Designs published The Brit List 2025—a print publication featuring profiles of the top 75 interior designers, architects, and hoteliers in Britain (effectively the top 25 in each group).
What The Brit List 2025 actually is
An annual industry platform and publication from Hotel Designs, paired with The Brit List Awards.
The 2025 campaign included 200+ shortlisted finalists across 13 award categories and then crowned 13 category winners.
The publication itself spotlights the people shaping hotel design and hospitality leadership—interior designers, architects, and hoteliers.
The Brit List 2025 winners that best signal where UK luxury hospitality is going
The 2025 winners read like a blueprint for what “next era luxury” means in Britain: residential-grade design, brand-defining F&B, purposeful operations, and leadership that balances profit with responsibility.
Interior Designer of the Year: residential-led luxury is now the default
Winner: Camilla Clarke, Creative Director, Albion Nord This win reflects a wider commercial truth: guests increasingly pay for spaces that feel lived-in, curated, and intimate—a residential sensibility that performs strongly in suites, lounges, and destination F&B settings.
Hotelier of the Year: responsible luxury + modern leadership
Winner: Samantha van Exter, Head of Hotels, Montcalm Collection Hotel Designs’ profile highlights her emphasis on digital innovation and responsible luxury—a combination that aligns with how premium hotel groups are trying to protect margin: smoother operations, stronger loyalty, and sustainability that is designed into the product (not added as marketing later).
Architect of the Year: global design intelligence, applied locally
Winner: Alejandra de Cordoba Estepa, Principal of Architecture, EMEA, HBA This is a signal that UK luxury hospitality is continuing to import global best practice—especially in mixed-use, branded residences, and experience-first hotels—while localising it for British planning, heritage, and operational constraints.
Rising Star: the talent pipeline is part of the strategy
Winner: Eden Parnell, Junior Designer, Sibley Grove Luxury is becoming more complex (brand standards, ESG, accessibility, wellness, F&B design). Recognising emerging talent is a practical signal: the industry is investing in capability, not just aesthetics.
The Brit List 2025: the themes shaping UK luxury hospitality next
A quick scan of the 2025 award categories shows where investment is concentrating—because categories mirror what the market is willing to reward (and pay for):
Best in Bar & Restaurant Design → F&B is treated as a destination profit centre, not an amenity.
The Eco Award → sustainability is moving from compliance to competitive advantage (especially for premium guests and corporate travel).
Best in Accessible Design (new) → inclusion is becoming design-led and measurable, not a checklist.
Hotel of the Year (new) and Team of the Year (new) → luxury is being judged on delivery and operations, not visuals alone.
Innovation Award → tech and systems are now part of luxury (frictionless service, smart rooms, data-driven personalisation).
Why this matters for UK luxury districts (the commercial takeaway)
The Brit List is effectively pointing to the same conclusion London and the wider UK market are already pricing in:
Luxury hospitality growth will be experience-led (F&B, wellness, events, cultural programming), because those lines protect margins when room rates fluctuate.
Design is becoming more accountable—to accessibility, sustainability, and real operational performance.
The leaders who stand out are those who can balance heritage + modernisation, and profit + purpose, at the same time.
