Rudding Park, the independent, family-owned luxury resort near Harrogate, has joined Accessible Hospitality Alliance (aha), bringing its established commitment to inclusive hospitality to the alliance’s growing operator membership.
Set within 300 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland in North Yorkshire, Rudding Park combines 90 bedrooms and suites with luxury lodges and cottages, a destination spa, golf, restaurants, and extensive meetings and events facilities. Its dining portfolio includes FIFTY TWO, which was awarded its first Michelin star in 2026.
The resort has a longstanding commitment to accessibility through an approach that extends beyond physical facilities to the wider guest experience, where individual needs, personal service and dignity are integral to its delivery of hospitality.
Rudding Park provides detailed accessibility guides and technical information across its hotel, spa and golf facilities, enabling guests to make informed decisions ahead of their visit.
Its decision to join aha builds on that foundation, connecting the business with other hospitality operators, people with lived experience of barriers to hospitality, and specialist service partners to exchange knowledge and advance accessibility across the industry.
Matthew Mackaness, Joint Managing Director, Rudding Park, explained the thinking behind the decision: “Accessibility is a key focus for us at Rudding Park. Empathy and trust are two of our core values which are so important in making all our guests feel comfortable. Our culture is one of inclusion, and we endeavour to maintain the dignity of every guest who visits. Guests should feel special because of their experience at Rudding Park, not because they have been singled out or treated differently due to having a disability.
“We are delighted to join Accessible Hospitality Alliance and are committed to sharing insights and learning from others to ensure we create a welcoming future for all our guests.”
Through aha operator membership, hospitality businesses appoint an Access Champion to maintain a focus on accessibility within their organisation, connecting leadership intent with everyday operational decisions.
Rudding Park’s Access Champion will also join The Access Champions Collective, where individuals appointed by operator members share experience, knowledge and practical approaches to improving accessibility for guests and colleagues.
Robin Sheppard, Co-Founder and Chair of Accessible Hospitality Alliance, welcomed Rudding Park to the alliance, saying: “The culture of a hospitality business is revealed in the smallest of moments. How people are welcomed, how their individual needs are understood, and how naturally consideration for others becomes part of everyday life. These are the things that distinguish authentic hospitality from simply providing a service.
“What I particularly admire about Matthew’s approach is the understanding that dignity and inclusion are not additions to hospitality, they are fundamental to its meaning. Rudding Park brings a culture and philosophy that resonates deeply with our purpose at aha, and I am absolutely delighted to welcome them into our community.”
Members also contribute to a wider exchange of experience and ideas through The aha Forum, where operators, people with lived experience and service partners examine opportunities for practical progress.
Rudding Park’s membership adds further experience to a growing community of hospitality businesses united by shared purpose: a hospitality world that welcomes everyone.
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