IMAGE: Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley
Virtuoso has revealed the 50 hotels and hospitality greats nominated for its coveted Best of the Best awards, to be presented in August. The nominees are part of the Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts program, which includes over 1,300 carefully selected properties in more than 100 countries and encompasses more five-star hotels than any other program.
This year, two Australian properties have been recognised with nominations including Victoria’s Jackalope Hotel and Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, in NSW.
“Every year Virtuoso engages our entire network to discover the hotels and professionals that are leading the way and inspiring others, whether it’s their partners, peers or guests,” said Albert Herrera, Virtuoso senior vice president, Global Product Partnerships. “These nominees are trendsetters, consistently providing experiences that are distinctly unique and beyond compare. The Best of the Best Awards celebrate those who embody the Virtuoso spirit by demonstrating leadership in furthering service and innovation in an industry where excellence is the norm.”
The network, along with editors of Virtuoso Life magazine, has selected the contenders in each of the 10 categories, recognising those hotels and professionals that are elevating the bar in their respective areas. The Sustainable Tourism Leadership award acknowledges hotels that exemplify the commitment to the three pillars of sustainable tourism: preserving the environment, supporting local economies and celebrating cultures.
Virtuoso travel advisors are currently casting votes for their favourites. Winners will be announced on August 14, 2019, during Virtuoso Travel Week at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Best Achievement in Design
Amanyangyun, Shanghai, China
Belmond Cap Juluca, British West Indies, Anguilla
Cheval Blanc St-Tropez, St. Tropez, France
Raffles Europejski Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Best Bar
Le Bar Long, Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, Paris, France
Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, Surfside, Florida, U.S.
The Chapel Bar, The Jaffa, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
The Flying Stag, The Fife Arms, Ballater, U.K
Z Bar, Peninsula Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Best Dining Experience
Doot Doot Doot, Jackalope Hotel, Mornington, Australia
Francis Mallman at Chateau La Coste, Villa La Coste, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, France
Kerridge’s Bar and Grill, Corinthia Hotel London, London, U.K.
Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Restaurant Le Gabriel, La Reserve Paris Hotel and Spa, Paris, France
Best Family Program
Gleneagles, Scotland, Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Half Moon, Jamaica, Montego Bay, Jamaica
One&Only Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Rome, Italy
Best Wellness Program
Anantara Quy Nhon Villas, Quy Nhon, Vietnam
Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, Lake Garda, Italy
Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona, U.S
SHA Wellness Clinic, Alicante, Spain
The Oberoi Sukhvilas Resort & Spa, Chandigarh, India
Sustainable Tourism Leadership
Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley, Wolgan Valley, Australia
Soneva Fushi, Kunfunadhoo Island, Baa Atoll, Maldives
Vermejo, A Ted Turner Reserve, Raton, New Mexico, U.S.
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, Landaa Giraavaru, Maldives
Londolozi Game Reserve, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa
Best Virtuoso Newcomer
Capella Ubud, Bali, Ubud, Indonesia
Heckfield Place, Hook, U.K.
Hotel Lutetia, Paris, France
Montage Los Cabos, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Six Senses Duxton, Singapore, Singapore
Best Virtuoso Hotel Ambassador
Alexis Romer, Marriott International Luxury Brands
Carlos Quereda, Querido Representation Co.
Stefanie Brueckner, The Fontenay Hamburg
Steven Lassman, Villas of Distinction
Tristan Dowell, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hotelier of the Year
Amanda Hyndman, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, London, U.K.
Anthony Costa, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai, U.A.E.
Ivan Artolli, Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Marcus Bauder, Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Nathalie Seiler-Hayez, Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne, Switzerland
Hotel of the Year
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, France
Hotel Sacher Wien, Vienna, Austria
The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
The Lowell, New York City, New York, U.S.
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
