AND THE WINNER IS….
VIRTUOSO AND VIRTUOSO LIFE MAGAZINE HONOR WORLD’S FINEST HOTELS AT THE FIRST ANNUAL “BEST OF THE BEST HOTEL AWARDS”

LAS VEGAS, NV (August 28, 2007) Leading luxury travel network, Virtuoso, turned to its own award-winning lifestyle magazine, VIRTUOSO LIFE, when it came to recognizing the top properties in the organization’s Hotel & Resort Program. Editors from the magazine, which boasts a circulation of 250,000, collaborated with the network’s member agencies and their elite travel consultants to name the recipients who received top honors at last week’s first annual “Virtuoso Best of the Best Hotel Awards.” More than 265 hoteliers and 981 travel consultants attended the first-ever “Best of the Best Awards” dinner and presentation, one of many events that took place during Virtuoso’s annual Travel Mart Conference at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.

Designed to celebrate Virtuoso properties and their programs, staff and services, categories ranged from most environmentally-friendly to best pet program and more. Although all participants in Virtuoso’s Hotel & Resort Program are world renowned for their superlative service and amenities, the network selected nominees based on extensive research, first-hand experiences and industry standards.

“When you work with the world’s best hotels and resorts, it’s difficult to narrow down the nominees to five per category,” says Elaine Srnka, Editorial Director of VIRTUOSO LIFE. “Ultimately, we identified those that represent the excellence of our own Hotel & Resort Program and mirror Virtuoso’s commitment to serving discerning travelers. The September issue of the magazine honors the winning properties, making it the quintessential guide to the world’s finest hotels and resorts.”

“The hotels and resorts recognized with this award exemplify what our program strives for: to flawlessly serve Virtuoso’s clientele while delivering an experience that exceeds all expectations,” says Albert Herrera, Vice President of Virtuoso’s Hotels and Resorts Program. “They truly represent the ‘best of the best’.”

Award categories, winners and nominees follow:

Best Restoration of a Historic Landmark – The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China). The hotel recently underwent a $150 million renovation to completely redesign, revitalize and restore it. Other nominees included Eichardt’s Private Hotel (Queenstown, New Zealand), Hotel Schloss Fuschl (Hof Bei Salzburg, Austria), Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Raffles Beijing Hotel (Beijing, China).

Best Concierge – Frank Laino of The Stafford (London, England). Mr. Laino has garnered a reputation for making the most unusual of things happen. These include having a tailor-made suit for a guest’s dog and finding a place that offers tai chi lessons on horseback. Other nominees included Colin Short of The Lanesborough (London, England), Francesco Santini of Hotel Gritti Palace (Venice, Italy), Gerard Ravel of Cour des Loges (Lyon, France) and Harry Fred Bigler IV of The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park (New York City, United States).

Best Dining Experience – Chateau de la Chèvre d’Or (Eze, France). The hotel features three restaurants: Le Grill du Château, La Chèvre d’Or and Les Remparts, all of which offer a distinctive ambiance and fine French cuisine. Other nominees included Bernard Loiseau’s Relais in Burgundy (Burgundy, France), Le Meurice, one of the Dorchester Collection (Paris, France), Le Quartier Français (Franschhoek, South Africa) and Park Hyatt Washington (Washington DC, United States).

Best Bar Experience – Le Bar du Hôtel Plaza Athénée, one of the Dorchester Collection (Paris, France). The bar offers a variety of unique cocktails and an elegant ambiance featuring an illuminated bar made entirely of sculpted and sandblasted glass. Other nominees included Blue Bar at The Berkeley Hotel (London, England), Cloud 9 at Grand Hyatt Shanghai (Shanghai, China), Il Gabbiano at Hotel Cipriani (Venice, Italy) and The Piano Bar at Hotel Bel-Air (Los Angeles, California, United States).

Best Children’s Program – The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands). The hotel teaches children about the islands’ ecological resources though a variety of fun daily programs that range from a sea turtle discovery lab to unusual garden tours aboard a pontoon boat. Other nominees included the Four Seasons Resort Maui (Wailea, Maui, Hawaii, United States), Grace Bay Club (Providenciales, Turks and Caicos islands), Hôtel Plaza Athénée New York (New York City, United States) and The Resort at Paws Up (Greenough, Montana, United States).

Best Pet Program – St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach (Dana Point, California, United States). Program highlights include custom-made pet beds, “Sniffany’s” dog toys and personalized food and water bowls from which to dine. Others nominees included The Benjamin (New York City, United States), Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort (Los Cabos, Mexico), Peninsula Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills, California, United States) and W Hotel New York Union Square (New York City, United States).

Best Community Service Program – Amansara (Siem Reap, Cambodia). Projects range from social care to children’s health and wildlife preservation. Other nominees included Camp Jabulani (Hoedspruit, South Africa), The Imperial, New Delhi (New Delhi, India), CC Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve (Kwazulu-Nata, South Africa) and W New Orleans French Quarter (New Orleans, Louisiana, United States).

Most Environmentally Friendly – Soneva Fushi (Baa Atoll, Maldives). Efforts include a revenue donation to local and global community projects, reduced energy consumption, increased energy efficiency and an initiative to manage/protect water resources. Other nominees included Hotel Punta Islita (Guanacaste, Costa Rica), Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth (Montreal, Quebec), Inkaterra Macchu Pichu (Macchu Pichu, Peru) and Treetops Lodge (Rotorua, New Zealand).

Most Innovative Hotel – Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand (Chiang Rai, Thailand). The hotel features 15 tented accommodations, a stilt-top bar and recreational activities including elephant trekking and campfire dinners. The property was in the company of Hotel Marqués de Riscal (Elciego, Spain), Lion Sands Ivory Lodge (Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa), Mandarin Oriental Prague (Prague, Czech Republic) and One&Only Palmilla (Los Cabos, Mexico).

Hotelier of the Year – John Stauss, Regional Vice President & General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel London (London, England). Mr. Stauss’ 25-year tenure with Four Seasons includes management positions at properties around the world and regional responsibilities at Four Seasons hotels throughout Europe. Other nominees: François Delahaye, General Manager, Hôtel Plaza Athénée (Paris, France), Geoffrey Gelardi, Managing Director, The Lanesborough (London, England), Hervé Houdré, General Manager, Willard InterContinental Washington (Washington DC, United States) and Peter French, Managing Director, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China S.A.R.)

About VirtuosoVirtuoso is the industry’s leading luxury travel network. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 300 independent agencies with more than 6,000 elite travel specialists in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,000 of the world’s best travel providers and premier destinations. Travel agencies receive sales, marketing and technology support, as well as exclusive services and products, as a result of their membership in Virtuoso. The network’s member agencies generate over $4.2 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment. Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network’s affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Virtuoso is the exclusive luxury travel network provider for World Elite™ MasterCard®. For more information, please visit www.virtuoso.com.

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Press Contacts:

Misty Ewing
Director – Public Relations, Virtuoso
Phone: 212.588.8242
Email: mewing@virtuoso.com

Robyn Fuchs
Manager – Public Relations, Virtuoso
Phone: 212.588.8281
Email: rfuchs@virtuoso.com