Great Hotels of the World’s member properties across the globe win a variety of awards for 2012.
Hotel Brunelleschi, Argos in Cappadocia and Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque Resort win Condé Nast Johansens awards for excellence
Three Great Hotels members: Hotel Brunelleschi in Florence, Argos in Cappadocia in Cappadocia and Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque Resort in Tenerife, have won 2013 Condé Nast Johansens Europe & Mediterranean Awards for Excellence. Hotel Brunelleschi has been awarded ‘Most Excellent Newcomer’, referencing the hotel’s “enviable reputation for its central Florentine location and historical interest. Constructed within a circular Byzantine tower and medieval church, this incredible transformation has uncovered a Roman caldarium, which is now part of the hotel’s private museum.” Argos in Cappadocia has been awarded for its ‘Sustainable Hospitality & Corporate Social Responsibility’. Condé Nast Johansens has commented on its “ancient houses, caves and tunnels which have transformed the property into an amazing holiday location of modern luxury, full of nooks and crannies and views towards Pigeon Valley and Mount Erciyes.” In addition, Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque Resort has been awarded for its ‘EMEA Annual Executive Meeting Proposal’. Conde Nast Johansens has commented on Bahia del Duque’s “inspiration from traditional turn of the 20th century Canarian architecture, being that it is an exclusive complex comprising Corinthian columns, bell towers and vast blue pools – a real oasis of luxury.” The awards have been based on responses from guest nomination forms, guest survey reports and regional inspector reports drawn from the hotels featured in Condé Nast Johansens most recent guides.
Villa Armena wins two Fodor’s 100 Hotel Awards
Great Hotels of The World member Villa Armena has received two awards at the 2012 Fodor’s 100 Hotel Awards. Chosen from over 4,000 global nominations by travel experts at Fodor’s, Villa Armena was selected as a Top 100 hotel from 4,000 global nominations. Villa Armena won Fodor’s 2012 100 Hotel Award in the ‘New & Noteworthy’ category for the world’s most noteworthy new hotels and the ‘Local Experience’ category for go-to hotels characterised for having an authentic sense of place. Villa Armena, which opened in April 2012, boasts 10 individually designed bedrooms, the highest standards of luxury and a personalised experience for travellers. Arabella Bowen, Executive Editorial Director of Fodor’s Travel explains: “We look for properties with great amenities and stellar service that offer a unique experience for guests. Every traveller will find a dream hotel on this list, no matter what their travel personality may be.”
Grand Hotel Reykjavik wins Iceland’s Best Conference Hotel
Grand Hotel Reykjavik in Iceland has recently been awarded ‘Best Conference Hotel in Iceland’ at the Annual MICE Report Awards 2012. The hotel has been selected for its fantastic location, capacity, state of the art facilities and high levels of customer service. The prestigious MICE Report Awards are bestowed annually to recognize excellence and outstanding distinction in the meetings, incentive and business travel industry. Ingolfur Einarsson, General Manager of Grand Hotel Reykjavik, says: “We are honoured to receive the MICE Report Award. We are an innovative team who strive to please our clients. As the hotel is independently run, it allows us to be more flexible when facing unexpected changes and adapting to create new products, services and processes.” Grand Hotel Reykjavik is the largest luxury conference hotel in Iceland, with 311 hotel rooms, modern office facilities, a business centre, 15 meeting rooms and over 2.450m² of meeting space.
Great Hotels of the World members win World Luxury Hotel Awards
Great Hotels of the World’s members have been recognised at the World Luxury Hotel Awards, which aim to encourage and raise service standards within the luxury hotel industry. Argos in Cappadocia in Turkey has been awarded ‘Luxury Boutique Hotel’, The Elephant Corridor in Sri Lanka has been awarded ‘Luxury Family Hotel’, Ottoman Hotel Imperial has been awarded ‘Luxury Historic Hotel’ and Sandton Sun in South Africa, St. James’s Hotel and Club in London and The Metropolitan Hotel and Spa New Delhi in India have all been recognised in the ‘Luxury City Hotel’ category. Airways Hotel in Papua New Guinea has been selected as ‘Luxury Airport Hotel’ and IC Green Palace in Turkey as ‘Luxury Family Hotel’. The World Luxury Awards is a recognised global organisation providing luxury hotels with recognition for their world-class facilities and service excellence provided to guests. They reward service excellence amongst the luxury hotel industry and congratulate exclusive hotels that have made the greatest contribution to the industry over the past year.
Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve named Africa’s best safari lodge by Condé Nast Traveller
Great Hotel’s member Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve has been named Africa’s best safari lodge in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers Choice Awards and was awarded a spectacular 100% for its service. It also rated Sabi Sabi in first place amongst the ‘Top 25 Resorts and Safari Camps in Africa and Middle East.’ Lodges are rated on style and design, food, service, location and overall experience amongst other criteria. All areas scored highly, with the full marks for service clinching top spot. Breathtaking scenery, luxurious lodges, world class safaris and mouth-watering cuisine all form the foundation for the exceptional service that has been acknowledged. Sabi Sabi was also voted as one of the top six luxury hotels worldwide and Top 10 hotels for food experience.
Jetwing Lighthouse chef wins three gold medals at World Culinary Olympics
Chef Shrimal Kulatunge of Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel showcased his talents at the 2012 IKA World Culinary Olympics and was awarded with three gold medals. Kulatunge was awarded ‘Best Display’ for his two varieties of gateaux, four varieties of desserts and petit fours, ‘Best Live Cooking’ for his two chocolate gateaux, four hot and cold desserts and three varieties of petit fours and ‘Best Overall Pastry Team’.
(Picture from Hotel Brunelleschi Florence)
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
