Let's start the weekend off with a little friendly competition, shall we? It's that time of year again when Virtuoso announces the nominees for its Best of the Best Hotel Awards. The Hotels & Resorts Program has more than 983 hotels, resorts, villas and private island retreats in 100 countries.
So, without further ado, the nominees are:
Hotel of the Year:
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
Gritti Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice, Italy
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Montage Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, California
The Peninsula Shanghai, Shanghai, China
One to Watch:
J.K. Place Roma, Rome, Italy
Rosewood London, London, England
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
Most Innovative Guest Experience:
Anantara Elephant Camp and Resort, Chiang Saen, Thailand
Banjaar Tola by Taj Safaris, Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India
Hotel Cipriani by Orient-Express, Venice, Italy
The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, Kohala Coast, Hawaii
InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa, Moorea, French Polynesia
Best Achievement in Design:
Alpina Gstaad, Gstaad, Switzerland
Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Dorado, Puerto Rico
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Hotel Maria Cristina, A Luxury Collection Hotel, San Sebastian, Spain
Mashpi Lodge, Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve, Ecuador
Best Culinary Experience:
Amber, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
La Pergola, Rome Cavalieri Hotel, A Waldorf-Astoria Resort, Rome, Italy
Restaurant 1621, Sofitel Santa Clara, Cartagena, Colombia
Rivea, Hotel Byblos Saint Tropez, Saint-Tropez, France
La Scene, Prince de Galles, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Paris, France
Best Bar:
The Armani, Bamboo Bar, Armani Hotel Milano, Milan, Italy
The Bar, Park Hyatt Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Bar Centro by Jose Andres, SLS Hotel South Beach, Miami, Florida
Ozone Bar, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Tunes Bar, The Conservatorium Hotel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Best Family Program:
Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach, Sunny Isles, Florida
Evason Ana Mandara at Nha Trang, Nha Trang, Vietnam
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland
The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Coast, California
Best Spa:
Hypnoze Spa, Palacio Nazarenas by Orient-Express, Cuzco, Peru
Miraj Hammam by Caudalie Paris, Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Opium Spa, The Siam, Bangkok, Thailand
Regent Spa, Regent Palms Turks & Caicos, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos
Spa Mukul, Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa, Tola, Nicaragua
Hotelier of the Year:
Omer Acar, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris, Paris, France
Antonio Alvarez, Palacio Duhau-Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Francois Delahaye, Hotel Plaza Athenee, Dorechester Collection, Paris, France
Elisabeth Gurtler, Hotel Sacher Wien and Hotel Sacher Salzburg, Vienna and Salzburg, Austria
Marco Selva, St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, Bal Harbour, Florida
For more information visit www.virtuoso.com.