The winners of the Boutique Hotel Awards 2017 were announced last night at the glittering Awards ceremony held at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall, London. The ceremony brought together an array of boutique hotel owners, travel and lifestyle press and travel industry influencers from all four corners of the world, including representatives from CNN Travel, Elite Traveler, The Telegraph, The Sunday Times, Boat International, Time Out and The Financial Times.
This year’s keynote speech was delivered by Wladimir Klitschko, two-time world heavyweight champion boxer and newly turned boutique hotelier. Other esteemed guest presenters and speakers included Juliet Kinsman, founder of BOUTECO, the only independent authority for eco boutique hotels, Elisabeth Visoanska, founder of VISOANSKA PARIS and Paolo Macchiaroli, founder of My Private Villas.
The Boutique Hotel Awards is the first and only international awards organisation exclusively dedicated to recognising unique excellence among boutique hotels. The Awards, now in its 7th year, honours the people behind these outstanding properties and bringing together members of The Master Key Society; where relationships are built exclusively among the Award Winners by facilitating hotel exchange visits between them.
What makes a Boutique Hotel Award meaningful? Simply put, the hotels and private villas are actually visited. It is the only independent awards organisation in hospitality where each and every property is visited personally by an experienced hotel judge which specialises in each category and too where decisions on winners depend on true first-hand guest experience at the property.
The winners were selected from over 600 Nominees in over 80 countries. Each entrant was nominated by a member of the Awards Nomination Committee, comprised of 70 leading trailblazing travel experts whose business it is to be in the know on the extraordinary boutique hotels. The Awards then coordinate hundreds of judge evaluation visits to each shortlisted nominee. The judges document all aspects of the guest experience covering five categories; dining and entertainment, design, facilities, location and most importantly staff service and overall emotional impact. These extensive hand-written evaluations are finally pored over by our Awards Panel who decide our regional and World’s Best Award winners.
Quotes from the night
"It’s difficult to be different" "We need a team, we need allies with whom we share our experience and learn from each other. I’m proud to be part of this family", Wladimir Klitschko, Owner of 11 Mirrors, keynote speaker 2017.
"It’s difficult to be different" "We need a team, we need allies with whom we share our experience and learn from each other. I’m proud to be part of this family", Wladimir Klitschko, Owner of 11 Mirrors, keynote speaker 2017.
"We believe that luxury hospitality can be a force for good and that we can have a positive effect on the future. It’s not just about where we stay - it’s about how those hotels make us feel and the people, the visionaries, the individuals behind those hotels their attention to detail and the passion that creates extraordinary experience honour and privilege to be hear with the heavy weights of our industry", Juliet Kinsman, Founder of BOUTECO.
"Presenting this years awards has been an absolute joy. Just to witness the warmth and camaraderie of the all these eccentric hotel owners who have come from all over the globe for this annual gathering is amazing", Christabel Milbanke, Travel Writer and Editor of The London Journalist
"I’m humbled to accept this award and want to congratulate everyone in the room for their achievements. On behalf of all our team in South Africa, we’re honoured to be here and are inspired to be different and unique as you all are", Paul Kinney, Owner of Akademie Street Boutique Hotel, World’s Best Boutique Hotel 2017
The 2017 World’s Best Category Winners are listed below.
World’s Best Boutique Hotel
Akademie Street Boutique Hotel, South Africa
Akademie Street Boutique Hotel, South Africa
- World’s Best Beach or Coastal Hotel: Qualia, Whitsundays, Australia
- World’s Best City Hotel: The Serras Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
- World’s Best Classic Hotel: The Chester Grosvenor, England
- World’s Best Culinary Hotel: Vila Joya, Algarve, Portugal
- World’s Most Inspired Design Hotel: Ca Maria Adele, Venice, Italy
- World's Best Honeymoon Hideaway: Carpe Diem, Santorini, Greece
- World’s Best New Hotel: Kensho, Mykonos, Greece
- World's Best Relaxation Retreat: Castello Di Guarene, Italy
- World's Most Romantic Hotel: Aenaon Villa, Greece
- World's Most Sustainable Hotel: Cottar’s Safari Lodge, Nairobi, Kenya
- World's Best Wellness Spa: Lefay Resort & Spa, Gargnano, Italy
