Brit List 2025 Outstanding Contribution Award winner announced!

With less than a month to go before the party of the year – The Brit List Awards 2025 – we reveal who has won this year’s most prestigious accolade: the Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry award…

Paul Brackley, Chief Executive Officer, Kinsfolk & Co

In a world where hotels rise and fall on the strength of their vision, few figures have shaped modern British hospitality with the depth, grace, and quiet determination of Paul Brackley. Over the course of more than three decades, Brackley has not only opened some of London’s most celebrated hotels but has also redefined what it means to lead with purpose – championing innovation, nurturing talent, and creating experiences that resonate long after check-out. It is this rare blend of excellence and empathy that makes him such a deserving recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry award.

Image credit: Kinsfolk & Co

Brackley’s story begins in the seaside town of Sheringham, North Norfolk, where his fascination with service and people first took root. After studying Hotel Management at Westminster College and Oxford Polytechnic, he embarked on a coveted management trainee programme at the Savoy Group – a formative experience that instilled in him the rigour, standards, and creativity that would underpin his entire career.

Further honing his leadership skills, Brackley completed the General Managers’ Programme at Cornell University, adding international perspective to his already impressive foundation. These early years laid the groundwork for a career defined by both precision and passion.

Brackley’s ascent through the ranks of luxury hospitality reads like a tour through the great hotels of our time. From The Landmark London to Millennium London, and St James’ Court to The Pierre New York, his ability to blend operational mastery with an unwavering focus on guest experience quickly set him apart.

His tenure as General Manager at Crowne Plaza London – The City showcased his adeptness at navigating complex brand standards within the InterContinental Hotels Group, while his leadership at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate and St James’ Court, A Taj Hotel, highlighted his talent for cultural sensitivity and cross-continental collaboration.

Image credit: Kinsfolk & Co

But it was his stewardship of The Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair that truly cemented Brackley’s reputation as a visionary. Tasked with opening the 73-room art-deco masterpiece, he crafted an environment where every detail told a story and every guest felt part of one. Under his direction, The Beaumont became a byword for understated luxury, earning international acclaim for both design and service.

When Brackley took the helm at Shangri-La The Shard, London, he literally elevated his leadership to new heights. Perched above the city skyline, he oversaw one of the capital’s most ambitious hotel operations – a property that demanded not only world-class service but also technical precision, sustainability, and brand finesse. His time there solidified his reputation as a general manager capable of balancing artistry with execution on a global scale.

“Working alongside such a passionate and supportive group of people – at Kinsfolk & Co, at our first hotel The Newman, and from across our wider industry – makes contributing feel effortless. Hospitality has been in my heart since I was a teenager, and I’m fortunate it’s been my career passion ever since.”

In 2023, Brackley turned a page and began writing his next great chapter with the founding of Kinsfolk & Co, a hospitality management and development company rooted in a philosophy he describes as ‘thoughtful excellence’. With an emphasis on authenticity, sustainability, and community, Kinsfolk & Co represents both a culmination of his experience and a promise for the future.

The company’s flagship project, The Newman in Fitzrovia, is set to open with 81 guest rooms, a wellness-driven spa, and a strong sense of locality – a reflection of Brackley’s enduring belief that the best hotels serve not just travellers, but the cities they inhabit. With further projects planned across Europe, Kinsfolk & Co is poised to become a new force in independent luxury hospitality.

Image credit: Kinsfolk & Co

Beyond the boardrooms and grand openings, Paul Brackley’s most enduring contribution may be the people he has inspired. A Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, a Master Innholder, and a dedicated mentor through the Bacchus Mentoring Programme, he has spent years nurturing the next generation of hoteliers – guiding them not only in business acumen but in values of integrity, empathy, and resilience.

His leadership style is often described as quietly magnetic: demanding yet deeply humane, pragmatic yet visionary. Colleagues speak of a man who knows every name in the room, who listens before he leads, and who never forgets that hospitality, at its core, is about people.

Commenting on his award, Paul Brackley told Hotel Designs: “I’m genuinely so touched to receive this award. It’s an incredible honour, and I’m truly grateful – thank you so much. Working alongside such a passionate and supportive group of people – at Kinsfolk & Co, at our first hotel The Newman, and from across our wider industry – makes contributing feel effortless. Hospitality has been in my heart since I was a teenager, and I’m fortunate it’s been my career passion ever since.”

He added: “I know The Brit List Awards is all about celebrating the creativity, resilience and passion of the people and teams who make our industry so extraordinary and I’m deeply appreciative of this recognition.”

As he accepts the Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry award, Paul Brackley stands as more than a hotelier – he is a custodian of excellence, a mentor to many, and a creator of places that make people feel seen, understood, and cared for. His career is a testament to what happens when leadership meets humility, and when vision meets heart.

The rest of this year’s Brit List Award winners as elected by our esteemed panel of judges will be revealed at the awards ceremony being held at Ministry of Sound in London on 5th November – check out the 2025 shortlist here.