Best tourism venues in the West Midlands shortlisted for 2026 awards - here are the finalists

Now in their sixth year, the West Midlands Tourism Awards celebrate the region’s best accommodation; business, cultural and sporting event venues; food and drink settings; and visitor and heritage attractions.

Visitor economy organisations across the West Midlands will discover their destiny at a special celebration of tourism next spring.

Shortlisted venues in the Black Country include Crumbles Coffee House in Wolverhampton, Ten Steps Coffee Lounge in Brierley Hill, Stourbridge Glass Museum. The RAF Museum in Cosford, is also a finalist, along with a host of venues in Shropshire - Riverside Cabins in Shrewsbury, Acton Scott Escapes in Church Stretton, The Barns at Blackwater Meadow in Ellesmere, Westhope Country Retreats at Craven Arms, Ironbridge View Townhouse in Telford and Goldstone Hall Hotel and Gardens at Market Drayton.

The finalists in two further award categories will be announced in December – the ‘Tourism Event / Festival of the Year’, and a new prize given to recognise an individual who has made an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism’.

The awards are organised and funded by the West Midlands Growth Company, which leads the region’s Destination Development Partnership.

Andrew Lovett OBE, chair of the West Midlands Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Board, said: “The West Midlands Tourism Awards is one of my favourite dates in the diary – an opportunity each year to celebrate and honour the best people and businesses, which make visiting our great region so memorable.

“Awards provide a big boost to businesses in a competitive market where economic headwinds can be substantial. As chief executive of the Black Country Living Museum, I have seen at first hand the positive impact of winning a regional and national tourism award, bringing a new wave of attention for the museum and our fabulous staff among visitors and media.

“I congratulate each and every one of this year’s shortlisted venues – including those running our fantastic independent tourism businesses – and wish them every success on the night.”

Regional winners will automatically feed up to the national Visit England Awards for Excellence, which champions the best in England’s tourism industry each summer. 

In 2025, following regional success, the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, was named the country’s Large Visitor Attraction of the Year.

2025 has also been a momentous year for tourism in the West Midlands. 

In July, the global spotlight was on the region as more than 250,000 culture, sport and food fans visited for high-profile events including Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning; Test Match cricket between England and India; and the Godiva Festival. 

As a result, the West Midlands recorded the largest increase in hotel occupancy (six per cent) across the whole of England compared to 12 months earlier.

The full list of finalists for the West Midlands Tourism Awards 2026

Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award

• Royal Air Force Museum Midlands (Cosford)

• The Box @ FarGo Village (Coventry)

• West Midlands Police Museum (Birmingham)

 Business Events Venue of the Year

• Hyatt Regency Birmingham

• Malmaison Birmingham

• Warwick Conferences (Coventry)

 Café/Coffee Shop of the Year

• Crumbles Coffee House and Deli (Wolverhampton)

• Ten Steps Coffee Lounge (Brierley Hill)

• The Two Mugs (Shirley)

 Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

• Acton Scott Escapes (Church Stretton)

• Riverside Cabins (Shrewsbury)

• The Barns at Blackwater Meadow (Ellesmere)

 Regenerative Tourism Award

• Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre (Birmingham)

• Riverside Cabins (Shrewsbury)

• Stourbridge Glass Museum (Stourbridge)

 Experience of the Year

• A World of Whisky (Grain & Glass) (Birmingham)

• Cotswolds in a Day Tour (Go Cotswolds) (Stratford-upon-Avon / Moreton in Marsh)

• RSC Tours (The Royal Shakespeare Company) (Stratford-upon-Avon)

• The Shakespeare Express (Vintage Trains Ltd) (Birmingham)

 Restaurant of the Year

• Fazenda Birmingham

• Libertine Burger (Stratford-upon-Avon)

• Trentina (Birmingham)

• Zindiya (Birmingham)

 Large Hotel of the Year

• Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre (Birmingham)

• Hotel du Vin Birmingham

• The Grand Hotel Birmingham

 Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Belgrade Theatre (Coventry)

• British Motor Museum (Gaydon)

• Compton Verney (Warwick)

• Royal Air Force Museum Midlands (Cosford)

 New Tourism Business of the Year

• Indie Mart @ FarGo Village (Coventry)

• Pesto at The White Swan (Wythall)

• Putt Putt Social Coventry

• The Taste of Shrewsbury Experience (Walking Food Tours UK)

 Pub of the Year

• The Bull’s Head - part of Thwaites (Earlswood, Solihull)

• The Howard Arms Ilmington

 Self Catering Accommodation of the Year

• Ironbridge View Townhouse

• Westhope Country Retreats (Craven Arms)

 Small Serviced Accommodation of the Year

• Burnside Hotel (Stratford-upon-Avon)

• Goldstone Hall Hotel & Gardens (Market Drayton)

 Small Visitor Attraction of the Year

• Shakespeare Distillery (Stratford-upon-Avon)

• St Mary's Guildhall (Coventry)

• The Lord Leycester (Warwick)