Luxury Travel Advisor, part of Questex Travel Group, honored the 2013 Awards of Excellence winners during a commemoration ceremony held at the Langham, Chicago. Coinciding with Luxury Travel Advisor’s second annual ULTRA Summit, the cocktail party brought together leading travel agency owners and managers to pay homage to the Awards of Excellence nominees and winners. In addition to honoring the winners with an awards ceremony, Luxury Travel Advisor will feature them in an upcoming 2014 issue.
Every year, Luxury Travel Advisor’s Awards of Excellence spotlights suppliers that deliver outstanding experiences and provide top-notch service around the world. The Awards of Excellence Advisory Board, an invitation-only panel of travel advisors that have been featured on the cover of Luxury Travel Advisor, hand-selects a collection of hotels, cruise lines, restaurants and individuals. The publication’s travel advisor readership determined the winners through an online ballot that ran January and February, 2014.
“As traveler preferences demand a higher level of service with every new hotel opening, tour, flight and cruise itinerary, luxury travel suppliers are increasingly called upon to evolve the ultra-luxury landscape,” remarked Ruthanne Terrero, vice president of content and editorial director for Questex Travel Group. “This year’s Awards of Excellence winners signify that ultra-luxury suppliers continue to exceed traveler expectations through service paramount to the best the industry has to offer.”
The 2013 Awards of Excellence Winners
Best Cruise Line for Ocean Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Best Cruise Line for Small Ships
Best River Cruise Company
AmaWaterways
Airlines: Best Flat-Bed Business Class Service
Best FIT Operator
Abercrombie & Kent
Best Local Destination Management Company
Exeter International
Best Authentic Experience Series
The Corinthia Hotel London: Downton Abbey Town-and-Country Experience
Best Train Experience
Rocky Mountaineer
Best Hotel Villa
Residences on Grace Bay, Grace Bay Resort, Turks & Caicos
Best Rooftop Bar
Jimmy at The James New York
Most Anticipated New Hotel Opening
Peninsula Paris
Top Europe Hotel Opening in 2013
Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St. Petersburg
Top Africa, Indian Ocean or Middle East Hotel Opening in 2013
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi
Top Asia Hotel Opening in 2013
Park Hyatt Siem Reap
Top North America Hotel Opening in 2013
NOBU at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Best Hotel Renovation/Reinvention Worldwide
The Gritti Palace, Venice
Best Hotel in the Caribbean
Four Seasons Nevis
Best Hotel in Mexico
Four Seasons Punta Mita
Best Pet-Friendly Hotel Worldwide
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
Best Hotel Worldwide
Four Seasons Bora Bora
Top General Manager Worldwide
Karen Whitt, The Regent Palms, Turks and Caicos
Best Hotel Bar, Paris
Le Bar at Four Seasons Hotel George V
Best Afternoon Tea, London
Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
Best Chauffeured Services Worldwide
Carey International
Top Hotel for Jetsetters Worldwide
St. Regis Bora Bora