Thistle Hotels is the AA Hotel Group of the Year 2011-2012. Thistle Hotels scooped the prestigious ‘Hotel Group of the Year Award’ on Thursday night at the AA Hospitality Awards 2011-2012. Hosted by popular BBC newsreader, Sophie Raworth, at the London Hilton on Park Lane, the ceremony rewarded the best performers in the UK’s hospitality industry, and was well attended by world-renowned chefs, prominent hoteliers, restaurateurs, hospitality gurus and key media. On selecting Thistle for the award, the judging panel were particularly impressed with how the hotel group have successfully kept their focus on the guest experience and developed teams in a way that delivered this commitment – genuinely and passionately.