Breaking

European Hotel Awards 2026: The People Behind the Excellence

European Hotel Awards 2026 / October 9, 2026

Beyond the awards: the people, partnerships and professional standards behind a landmark evening on the Italian Riviera

On 28 September 2026, the Grand Hotel del Mare Resort & Spa in Bordighera welcomed the eighth European Hotel Awards. Against the Ligurian coastline, the gathering brought together hotel leaders, tourism representatives, hospitality specialists and international guests. Its significance extended well beyond the presentation of trophies: the evening offered a close-up view of the people and organisations that sustain European hospitality.

For the international hospitality industry, an awards ceremony is also a meeting point. It connects established properties with emerging ideas, operational expertise with public recognition, and individual careers with the wider communities they serve. This year’s edition demonstrated how much such occasions depend on work that is rarely visible from the stage.

Lina Pariokienė at the European Hotel Awards 2026 in Bordighera

Twenty-one distinctions, many different expressions of excellence

The 2026 honours encompassed 21 recipients across hotel management, luxury properties, heritage destinations, tourism governance, food and beverage, and guest-service excellence. Rather than describing a single model of success, the selection reflected the breadth of the European hospitality landscape — from historic hotels and urban retreats to the professionals responsible for making service memorable.

The recipients and distinctions announced for the eighth edition were:

Lidija Bajarūnienė — European Tourism Governance Award
Hôtel Plaza Athénée, represented by François Delahaye — Palace Hotel of the Year
Antoine Le Van — General Housekeeping Manager of the Year
Alessandro Dorrucci — General Manager of the Year
Salvatore Pisani — Area General Manager of the Year
La Réserve de Beaulieu — Legend Hotel of the Year
Radisson Collection Hotel, Berlin — Iconic City Hotel of the Year
Courtyard by Marriott Vilnius City Center — Business Hotel of the Year
Hilton Vilamoura — Wellness & Spa Hotel of the Year
Michel Morauw — Managing Director of the Year
Vincent Schuit — Hospitality Executive Achievement
Simone Marigliani — Ethical Luxury Hotelier of the Year
Esplanade Zagreb Hotel — Art of Hospitality Excellence
La Bastide Saint-Antoine — Heritage Boutique Hotel of the Year
The Dominican — Urban Sanctuary Hotel of the Year
The Schloss Fall — Historic Castle of the Year
Château La Calisse — Wine Estate & Wine of the Year
Donatas Burneika — Hotel F&B Manager of the Year
Vasile Chirilă — Hospitality Operations Excellence
City of Grasse, represented by Jérôme Viaud — Territorial Tourism Leadership
City of Bordighera — European Hospitality City

Michel Morauw of Hyatt, European Hotel Awards 2026

Taken together, these distinctions recognise the work of general managers, service leaders, destinations and teams whose achievements are built over time. They also draw attention to the less visible disciplines of the profession: consistency, mentoring, operational judgement, cultural stewardship and the ability to bring people together.

The host hotel: hospitality tested in real time

Hosting an international ceremony is a practical examination of a hotel’s organisation. The Grand Hotel del Mare Resort & Spa provided both a Mediterranean setting and the operational framework for the 2026 event. Its general manager, Alessandro Dorrucci, played a central role in welcoming the participants and coordinating the hotel’s contribution.

The result depended on much more than a beautiful venue. Reception and concierge teams, housekeeping, kitchen brigades, restaurant and bar staff, sommeliers, banqueting personnel and technical services all contributed to the guest experience. Their work — much of it taking place behind the scenes — is an essential part of the story of the evening.

Alessandro Dorrucci, General Manager of Grand Hotel del Mare Resort & Spa

For hospitality professionals, this is perhaps the most instructive dimension of the occasion: excellent service is not a single gesture but the product of leadership, preparation, coordination and attention to detail across an entire property.

A selection committee rooted in professional experience

The awards’ leadership and selection committee also represent an important part of the initiative’s identity. Michel Stalport, President of the 2026 Chapter, brought experience from senior responsibilities within international hotel groups. The wider circle of honorary members includes Thierry Lavalley, a former president of the Geneva hoteliers’ association; international hotel executive Albert Rouwendal; Sigita Rudzevičienė, General Manager of Grand Hotel Vilnius, Curio Collection by Hilton; and Marie-Fleur Raynard-Laude, a Meilleure Ouvrière de France recognised for her expertise in hotel service.

The European Hotel Awards were founded by Jérôme Chapman, their Executive Director, whose professional background spans hospitality, publishing, communications and events. Together, these different perspectives help connect the distinctions to the realities of the industry and to the recognition of professional accomplishment.

Michel Stalport, President of the European Hotel Awards 2026 Chapter

Meet the European Hotel Awards leadership and selection committee

Craftsmanship, design and technology among the supporting partners

The event’s partner network illustrated how broad the hospitality supply chain has become. MARCY PARIS, founded by Marcy de Soultrait, contributed the perspective of refined professional uniforms and dress. Dominique and Irina Roitel and the D.ROITEL group, associated with Henryot & Cie and Dissidi, brought attention to furniture, fine cabinetmaking and the decorative arts that shape distinctive luxury interiors.

At the other end of the spectrum, Répondia represented the growing role of artificial intelligence in reservations and customer relations. Digital Mountain Consulting and Ludivine Langlois were also involved in the event and its communications activities.

Acknowledgement is also due to Techno Car Luxe, Maïtza Mezzadri, Maria Jacota, Kateřina Srbková, and the other contributors and service providers who supported the preparation and delivery of the ceremony. From heritage craftsmanship to digital tools, their participation reflects the varied expertise on which modern hospitality relies.

The value of experienced media relations

The Bureau de Presse Pascale Venot served as press partner for the 2026 edition. Founded in Paris in 1994, the agency works across luxury, travel, gastronomy, hospitality and lifestyle. Pascale Venot, together with Émilie Delbos and Éléonore Jalou, supported the event’s media relations.

Recognised at the 2025 European Hotel Awards as International PR Agency of the Year, the agency has a longstanding professional connection with the initiative. Its involvement underscores the role of specialist press relations in communicating hospitality achievements beyond the confines of a single evening.

The year-round work behind a one-night celebration

An international ceremony is built over months rather than hours. Before guests arrive, teams must coordinate nominations and selection processes, liaise with hotels and award recipients, prepare audiovisual material, manage invitations and partners, and organise the protocol of the event itself.

The European Hotel Awards’ organising and production teams, communications contributors and guest coordinators therefore deserve recognition alongside those who appeared on stage. The quality of the final occasion is inseparable from the many small decisions made in advance.

A moment from the European Hotel Awards 2026 ceremony in Bordighera

Independent editorial coverage and a lasting public record

Professional recognition gains a different dimension when it is accompanied by accessible reporting. Références Hôteliers Restaurateurs International, the founding media partner of the European Hotel Awards, contributes an international editorial perspective, alongside the separate French-language publication Références CHR and the awards’ own institutional website. Each has a distinct editorial or institutional role.

The international publication’s history extends over more than 27 years, while its founders’ professional involvement in hospitality, media and events dates back to 1989. Profiles, reports, interviews and photographic records can give readers a longer-term view of the careers, establishments and initiatives recognised at the awards.

This continuing documentation matters to hoteliers and industry partners alike. It allows achievements to be explored after the gala, supports professional visibility and builds an archive that remains available to an international readership.

The guests who gave the occasion its character

The human dimension was just as important as the formal programme. Hotel representatives, institutional figures, partners and friends travelled from different parts of Europe to meet colleagues and celebrate their profession. From the welcome reception through the awards presentation and gala dinner, their conversations and shared enthusiasm gave the gathering its atmosphere.

Such encounters can renew professional relationships, open conversations between different markets and create memories that extend well beyond the event. The organisers’ thanks go to every guest who made the journey to Bordighera and contributed to that sense of community.

Bordighera and the Italian Riviera: a memorable setting

Overlooking the Ligurian Sea, the Grand Hotel del Mare Resort & Spa gave the eighth edition a distinctive sense of place. The Italian Riviera’s scenery and longstanding traditions of welcoming visitors offered a fitting backdrop for an event devoted to the art of hospitality.

The evening brought together the formal recognition of achievement and the more personal pleasures of conversation, shared experiences and conviviality. It was a reminder that hospitality excellence is measured not only in buildings and service standards, but also in the quality of human encounters.

“The finest hospitality leaves an impression not simply through its surroundings, but through the care, generosity and human attention that guests remember.”

Références Hôteliers Restaurateurs International — Editorial reflection, October 2026

Looking towards the next European Hotel Awards

The 2026 edition concluded with recognition for 21 award recipients and gratitude towards the committee, host hotel, sponsors, press partners, production teams and guests. The next chapter will build on the same central idea: honouring the individuals, institutions and establishments that preserve, develop and rethink European hospitality.

On 9 October 2026, a Google AI-generated search overview described the European Hotel Awards as “One of the continent’s premier honors for luxury hotels, historic properties, general managers, and service excellence.” This was a search-generated description, not an official ranking, endorsement or certification by Google.

As attention turns towards 2027, the legacy of Bordighera lies not only in the distinctions presented, but in the professional relationships and collective effort that made the ceremony possible. To the award recipients and everyone involved: congratulations, and thank you.