The best boutique hotels in the world were recently honoured at a gala awards evening in London. The winners of the Boutique Hotel Awards 2019 were announced during a ceremony which brought together an array of boutique hotel owners, travel and lifestyle press and travel industry influencers from all four corners of the globe earlier this month.
What we like about this particular awards program is that 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, who specialises in each category, and where decisions on winners depend on true first-hand guest experience at the property.
The winners were selected from over 300 Nominees in over 80 countries. The organization then coordinates judge evaluation visits with each shortlisted nominee. The judges document all aspects of the guest experience covering six categories: dining and entertainment, design, facilities, location and, most importantly, staff service and overall emotional impact. Finally, these extensive hand-written evaluations are meticulously studied by our Awards Panel, which decides our regional and World’s Best Award.
Here are the Award Winners
| World’s Best Beach or Coastal Hotel | Emaho Sekawa Resort, Fiji, South Pacific |
| World’s Best City Explorer Hotel | Riad Kheirredine, Marrakech, Morocco |
| World’s Best Chic Elegance Hotel | Arctic Light Hotel, Rovaniemi, Finland |
| World’s Best Classic Elegance Hotel | Relais & Châteaux Hotel Heritage, Bruges, Belgium |
| World’s Best Culinary Excellence Hotel | Velaa Private Island, Maldives |
| World’s Most Inspired Design Hotel | Byblos Art Hotel, Verona, Italy |
| World’s Best Honeymoon Hideaway Hotel | Drake Bay Getaway Resort, Drake Bay, Costa Rica |
| World’s Best Newcomer Hotel | Te Koi The Lodge At Bronte, New Zealand |
| World’s Best Relaxation Retreat Hotel | Green SPA Resort Stanglwirt, Austria |
| World’s Most Romantic Retreat Hotel | Rancho Pacifico, Uvita, Costa Rica |
| World’s Most Eco Friendly Hotel | Donkey Bay Inn, Russell, New Zealand |
| World’s Best Wellness Spa Hotel | Masseria San Domenico, Puglia, Italy |
| World’s Most Stunning Views Hotel | Hanging Gardens of Bali, Bali, Indonesia |
| World’s Best Family Hotel | Chitwa Chitwa Private Game Lodge, Greater Kruger, South Africa |
| Best Farm To Table Hotel | Masseria Susafa Hotel |
| Best Host Of The Year | Riccardo Barsottelli Of Locanda Al Colle |
| The Finest Home – Grown Wine Pairing | Tenuta Montemagno |
This year’s gala proves that the best boutique hotels in the world are diverse, unique and not cookie cutter. We’re impressed.
