Guide Approved: how it is decided
Last changed 23 October 2026 · What changed
Guide Approved is an editorial award. It is free to earn and never for sale.
How a place is assessed
Restaurants and hotels are inspected anonymously, at least twice, by editors who pay their own bills. Developers and makers are assessed by document review: titles, approvals, track record and the work itself. The criteria for each category are published with the award.
Renewal and withdrawal
The award runs for one calendar year and is reviewed every year. We withdraw it, with a published reason, if standards fall or the facts change. Every badge links to a page on this site that shows whether it is real and still active.
What it is not
It is not a payment, a sponsorship or a ranking. A brand that buys a partner story is not more likely to win it. Partner stories never carry the mark.
Guide Approved this year (0)
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First published version of this page.