Virtuoso's 10th Annual Best Of The Best Reveals What's Trending in Luxury Travel

  • June 28, 2016
Virtuoso's 10th Annual Best Of The Best Reveals What's Trending in Luxury Travel
Celebrating its 10th year, the Best of the Best awards recognize the industry's top properties and hoteliers. The 50 nominees represent the highest standard in their given category and illustrate what is trending in the industry.

History Still Matters: Legendary hotels, some of which may even be spotted in black-and-white Hollywood classics, continue to endure amongst luxury travelers. While there is an undeniable expectation of upgraded rooms and modernized amenities, it is impossible to put a price tag on the timeless essence left by eclectic guests who once walked through the doors.

Where in the World? With seven continents, 195 independent countries, and nearly 7,000 different languages in the world, discerning travelers want to see, hear, taste and feel the authentic attributes of the location they have chosen to visit. Properties that establish this level of cultural immersion and tell a story with every element down to the smallest detail have the deepest resonance with upscale hotel enthusiasts.

Travel to Experience: In a world where social media has transformed the way we live and travel technologies are rapidly evolving, the desire for careful curation prevails. From high style and haute cuisine to groundbreaking designs that transform a property, guests are seeking out hotels that deliver a certain "feel" that represents their own lifestyle. Their quest to collect "likes" ultimately leads them to a more personalized experience.

Giving Back: Can a hotel change the way a guest sees the world? The Virtuoso community says "yes." Luxury travelers are looking to broaden their "Journey to Global Citizenship," using travel as a means of educating their children while simultaneously giving back to a local community in a meaningful, engaging way.

The below Virtuoso Best of the Best hotel award nominees embody these trends. The winners will be the result of a weeks-long vote held amongst Virtuoso's travel agency members, the most experienced travel advisors in the industry. Their final selections will be revealed during Virtuoso Travel Week's Hotels & Resorts Dinner taking place August 10, 2016, at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Best Achievement in Design

  1. Faena Hotel Miami Beach (pictured), Florida, United States

  2. Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  3. Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco

  4. The Langham, Sydney, Sydney, Australia

  5. The Temple House, Chengdu, China


Best Culinary Experience

  1. The Farmhouse Restaurant, Farmhouse Inn, California, United States

  2. IGNIV, Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa Suites, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

  3. Michel Guérard, Les Prés d'Eugénie-Michel Guérard, Eugénie-les-Bains, France

  4. Shang Palace, Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey

  5. The Colony Grill Room, The Beaumont, London, United Kingdom


Best Bar

  1. J.K. Lounge, J.K. Place Firenze, Florence, Italy

  2. Prohibition, Rosewood Hotel Georgia,Vancouver, Canada

  3. Polo Bar, Taj Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, India

  4. Gold Bar, The New York EDITION, New York, United States

  5. Off the Record, The Hay Adams, Washington., D.C., United States


Best Family Program

  1. Hotel Le K2, Courchevel, France

  2. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji, Savusavu, Fiji

  3. Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

  4. St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

  5. The Peninsula Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan


Best Spa

  1. Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy

  2. La Réserve de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland

  3. Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bali, Indonesia

  4. Six Senses Laamu Hotel, Laamu Atoll, Maldives

  5. The Mayflower Grace, Connecticut, United States


Most Innovative Guest Experience

  1. Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil

  2. Carmel Valley Ranch, California, United States

  3. Estancia La Bamba de Areco, San Antonio de Areco, Argentina

  4. Saffire Freycinet, Coles Bay, Australia

  5. Schloss Elmau, Elmau, Germany


Sustainable Tourism Leadership

  1. andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

  2. Blancaneaux Lodge, Central Farm, Belize

  3. Cavallo Point – The Lodge at Golden Gate, California, United States

  4. Tswalu Kalahari, Tswalu Kalahari, South Africa

  5. UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, Trancoso, Brazil


One to Watch

  1. D Hotel Maris, Marmaris, Turkey

  2. Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia

  3. Hotel Eden Rome, Dorchester Collection, Rome, Italy

  4. Il Sereno, Lake Como, Italy

  5. Park Hyatt St. Kitts, St. Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis


Hotelier of the Year

  1. Deborah Yager Fleming, Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach, Florida, United States

  2. Nikheel Advani, Grace Bay Club, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos

  3. Philip Barnes, Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver, Canada

  4. José Silva, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, Paris, France

  5. Roberto Payer, Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands


Hotel of the Year

  1. Amanpulo, Pamalican Island, Philippines

  2. Borgo Egnazia, Savelletri Di Fasano, Italy

  3. Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  4. Mandarin Oriental, Milan, Milan, Italy

  5. Ritz Paris, Paris, France


For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com.