Author: Joanna Evans

On 14 July participants from the World Luxury Spa and Restaurant Awards gathered at the magnificent Galgorm Resort & Spa in Northern Ireland for the annual event, recognising and celebrating their success for exceptional service in the luxury wellness and fine dining industries. The red carpet was rolled down the stairs and out between the wide pillars and high arches of the impressive venue – The Great Hall. Guests were welcomed at the entrance by the sound of Irish Uilleann pipes and a single reel Irish dance performance as they were led into an ‘Enchanted Forest’ reception area with exotic cocktails and canapes on arrival.  The theme for the evening was Irish with a mythical feel, guests were immersed in a truly memorable celebration of Irish culture, fine food and ‘craic’. Over 200 guests from 42 countries across the globe attended this unforgettable occasion filled with opulence, glitz and glamour.

This truly unique experience was enhanced by the symphony of tastes from award winning produce representing the best of Northern Ireland’s cuisine on the flavourful 5-course menu. Resort Head Chef, Donna Hughes, oversees the menu selection of all the resort’s outlets and proudly presented the best on offer for the evening’s enjoyment, this included local goat’s cheese, prawn bisque, followed by lamb (2 ways), locally sourced honey and dairy for the buttermilk panna cotta, and was finished off with a selection of Irish cream fudge and coffee macaroon’s.

To accompany the sensational food were the awe-inspiring, national and world champion Irish dancers, The Hooley, who provided world class entertainment which was specially choreographed for the event.

All guests were thrilled to receive a generous gift bag with products supplied by Vanity Group, Voya, Bioeffect, Aromatherapy Association, Vita Liberata, Bushmills and Bacardi-Brown Forman.

The resort, in conjunction with their spa partners, created a Spa Festival for attendees to enjoy, this included a pop-up Wellness Bar by Aromatherapy Associates and Finishing Bar by Vita Liberata (the world’s first non-toxic and organic tan). Attendees were invited to experience the products, tan before the event and relax with complimentary treatments after their travels, before preparing to attend the evening’s event.

All attending the event were impressed with the entire evening, especially with the representation of each attending country’s flag outside the entrance of the Great Hall.  The awards were well received and the evening flowed smoothly from start to finish, culminating with the much anticipated Global awards, followed by the winners of the Global Spa and Restaurant of the Year winners.

The 2018 Global Spa of the Year was awarded to Este Fitness & Spa in Bulgaria. This sought-after award was well deserved for this luxury spa that has stood out among the worlds’ most advanced, respected and trusted treatment centres. The award was accepted by Nadia Halacheva, Spa Director.

The 2018 Global Restaurant of the Year was awarded to Le Grand Restaurant, a luxury restaurant that has showcased outstanding and original creativity, ambience, service and fine dining, among the world’s most respected restaurants. The award was accepted by Yohan Jossier, Restaurant Director and Alexandra Madesclair Freud, Development Manager.

Guests were invited to remain and celebrate their success together in the Grand Hall with lively music from the 7-piece band, The Coves, which rounded off a perfect evening of celebration.

The scene is set; it’s a warm, exotic summer’s evening in Vietnam, the sun begins to set over the bustling and intriguing city of Hanoi, excited participants gather at the event of the year, the event that will later that night honour them as the crème da la crème of the luxury wellness and fine dining industries. Champagne flows, canapés travel on beautifully decorated trays to guests, and the air of anticipation grows.  Proudly hosted by the spectacular JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi, who with a red carpet welcome invite over 180 guests from more than 50 countries to a dazzling evening of luxury, glamour, and style.

“Over 100,000 votes brought our winners here tonight; 100,000 times the public voiced their opinion on who of the 1,000 entrants are deserving of these accolades. Tonight we honour the staff of these fine establishments, who through their immeasurable service delivery have brought success to the proud brands of which they are a part.” says Marna Lourens, Executive Manager for the World Luxury Spa Awards.

Setting the basis for service industry standards around the globe, the World Luxury Spa Awards and World Luxury Restaurant Awards pride themselves on providing true recognition to luxury spas and restaurants in their relevant categories during its annual voting phase. Votes are garnered through various marketing channels from guests, showcasing yet again the true value of service excellence.

“The most coveted award on the evening is our Global Spa and Global Restaurant of the Year awards. Each year the task to determine these top establishments begins after voting has closed and we announce to our winners if they have been successful. We are six senior managers who take weeks to decide, as voting is not the only criteria we look at to bestow this prestigious award. A multitude of factors come in to play; brand, location, overall guest satisfaction from online reviews, services and facilities, design, and even menu offerings whether spa or restaurant. It is important to look at each establishment as an individual as well, some are on an island, some are in cities or in a desert, it is not always possible to compare apples with apples when defining luxury. This year the focus was on unique design with a touch of classy elegance, and we were as such proud to award Global Spa of the Year to Harnn Heritage Spa at InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, and Global Restaurant of the Year to Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. Both of whom encompass the ethos of luxury and supreme service.” says Joanna Evans, Marketing Communications Manager for the World Luxury Awards.

The evening was as glamorous as one would expect from a JW Marriott brand hotel; a delectable 6-course fine dining menu adorned each table throughout the night and was paired with fine wines and champagne from Moët et Chandon. Entertainment fitting of the destination included a Dragon Dance, a Vietnamese based string quartet performance by Độc Cầm – Toxic Quartet, and a local Ao Dai Dance, all of which added to the evening’s Asian flair.

“The food tonight was exceptionally impressive, and has been during our entire stay at the hotel. Executive Chef Brendon Partridge and his team receive full honours from the World Luxury Awards and all our guests for the tireless effort of crafting these delicious plates of exquisite foods we received this evening.” says Linda Cooper, Executive Manager for the World Luxury Restaurant Awards. “I am proud to know that the awards they themselves received tonight are so well deserved.”

After all awards were received and each representative had an opportunity for exclusive photos and interviews on the red carpet, guests were welcomed to the chic and ultra-stylish Cool Cats Jazz Club, a name so apt for the warm red glow it provides, while live musicians entertained crowds late into the night with some fabulous classic jazz music.

Luxury establishments from around the globe are welcomed to participate in these exciting awards, to proudly show the world what they have to offer in terms of luxury and excellence.

www.luxuryspaawards.com | www.luxuryrestaurantawards.com

It is with great pleasure that we celebrate a highly successful 2016 World Luxury Spa Awards’ season. We want to thank our participating spas for their continued and loyal support. Congratulations to each and every one of our 389 category winners and especially to our Overall Global Winner, the Portugal based Sayanna Wellness, EPIC SANA Algarve. As a luxury resort and fitness spa with the focus on wellness, Sayanna is one of the leaders in achieving total life transformation, wellbeing and longevity.

Our hugely successful first spa and restaurant gala event was concluded at the exquisite 5-star Grand Hotel Kronenhof Pontresina in Switzerland. Guests were pampered in lavishly furnished rooms and the spa and wellness at Grand Hotel Kronenhof comforted tired bodies in an oasis stretching over 2,000 square meters, specially designed to bring natural freshness inside. Spas from all over the world were present and media coverage at the event included interviews and filming as each attendee was rewarded with their trophy on stage. Cultural performances by the Alphorn Players and Leo Wundergut & the Jetset-Singers complemented the sumptuous 6-course dinner that was hosted in the hotel’s signature Grand Restaurant. What an amazing evening was had by all at this Swiss National Heritage Site. Situated 1,800m above sea level in Pontresina, a city founded more than 1,000 years ago and just 6 kilometers away from St. Moritz, this magnificent hotel was the perfect setting for this spectacular inaugural gala event!

Maintaining and awarding the highest standards within the global luxury spa sector remains our primary goal. This motto is reflected in our distinguished list of prestigious winners, some of which have been a part of our Luxury Awards family for many years. We would like to give the guest a feeling of security when booking a World Luxury Spa Awards recognized spa as their first preference.

We pledge our continued support through substantial marketing and promotional campaigns to promote participants on a global scale by means of an online spa profile hosted by the World Luxury Hotel and Spa Awards website as well as media-networking opportunities with our established sponsors and media partners.

This has proven in the past to raise service standards within the luxury spa industry and ensure awareness of your brand. We support all participants equally in promoting their status with our Awards and it is our wish to have a long and successful journey with you.

It is with great pleasure that we can announce our next gala event to be hosted at the JW Marriott Hanoi in Vietnam on 22 July 2017, and we look forward to seeing each of you there.