Join us at the GuestRevu GREAT Awards

More than a prize-giving

Hospitality professionals are coming together in London and Cape Town for an evening of candid industry conversations, practical ideas, celebration and connection, followed (of course) by drinks, canapés and the announcement of the 2026 GREAT Award winners.

You do not need to be a finalist (or even an entrant) to get something valuable from the evening.

The GREAT Awards events are for people who want to understand where hospitality is heading, exchange ideas with others in the industry and learn from the properties consistently delighting their guests.

Come for the conversation. Stay for the celebration.

What to expect

Break free of the day-to-day mould and dive into creative thinking

Ideas worth taking back to your team
Hear honest perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping hospitality, guest experience and hotel leadership.

Conversations, not lectures
The programme will include lively discussions, interactive moments and opportunities for attendees to contribute their own experiences and opinions.

Recognition grounded in real guest feedback
The GREAT Awards are different from traditional hospitality awards. Winners are determined using independently sourced guest review data rather than a judging panel or public vote.

Proper time to network
No rushed coffee break or awkward exchange of business cards. The events are designed to give you time to have useful conversations over drinks and canapés.

A reason to celebrate
We will reveal the properties whose guests have rated them among the GREATest of 2026—and celebrate the teams behind those experiences.

LONDON

Thursday, 22 October 2026
The Library at L’oscar London
From 16:00

Join fellow hoteliers and hospitality leaders for an afternoon and evening of candid conversation, provocative ideas, guest experience insight and celebration in one of central London’s most distinctive venues.

This is not a sit-down conference followed by an awards ceremony.

We’re creating a lively, informal event where you can join the discussions that interest you, step out for a drink or conversation when you want to, meet other hoteliers and leave with ideas worth taking back to your team.

What’s happening?

A slightly unusual icebreaker
We’ll kick things off with something designed to get people talking, thinking differently and forgetting they’re at an industry event for a moment.

Expect something interactive, a little unexpected and definitely not your standard conference opener.

Technology vs Hospitality
Does technology actually matter to the guest? A deliberately provocative panel will explore where technology improves hospitality, where it gets in the way, and whether the industry is in danger of automating away the very thing guests value most: people.

Vote With Your Feet
No sitting quietly at the back for this one. We’ll put some bold hospitality statements to the room and ask you to physically pick a side, defend your position and see whether anyone can persuade you to move.

Expect questions around guest experience, AI, online reviews, direct bookings, revenue and the future of hotel leadership.

What do the guests actually say?
After the opinions, we’ll look at the evidence. Dr Wouter Hensens, GuestRevu and the GREAT Awards partners will dig into the guest review data collected during the 2026 Awards and explore what it tells us about the properties consistently delivering exceptional experiences.

And then, the GREAT Awards
We’ll reveal the 2026 GREAT Award winners for Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, recognising the hotels whose own guests have rated them among the GREATest of the year.

Then the formal programme ends, the jazz begins, and the drinks keep flowing.

Who will be there?

Danica Smith
Founder of MorningStar GX

Liutauras (LV) Vaitkevicius-1 Liutauras (LV) Vaitkevicius
Former Hotel GM and Hospitality Consultant

Chris Alexandre
Founder and CEO of GuestRevu

wouter-hensens Dr Wouter Hensens
Executive Dean of Stenden South Africa

jane-pendlebury Jane Pendlebury
CEO of HOSPA

Plus hoteliers, hospitality leaders and representatives from the GREAT Awards partners.

Full programme and speaker line-up subject to change.

You do not need to be shortlisted to attend

In fact, you don’t even need to have entered the Awards.

Come if you want to hear what other hospitality leaders really think, challenge a few assumptions, compare notes with your peers and celebrate some of the properties delivering remarkable guest experiences in 2026.

Free for hoteliers to attend. Advance registration required.

CAPE TOWN

Thursday, 26 November 2026
Gorgeous George

Join hoteliers from across Africa for an evening of practical insight, industry discussion and celebration.

The programme will bring together respected hospitality voices including Lee-Anne Singer and Dr Wouter Hensens, as well as representatives from the GREAT Awards sponsors, for talks and panel discussions focused on the issues shaping hospitality today.

The evening will also include drinks, canapés, networking and the live presentation of the 2026 African GREAT Awards.

You do not need to be shortlisted to attend. Come to exchange ideas, meet fellow hoteliers and celebrate the teams delivering exceptional guest experiences across Africa.

Free for hoteliers to attend. Advance registration required.