Another year is nearing its end, and, for us at LLM – Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, this means another season of awards is complete.
2021 marks our fourth year of highlighting the very best in the travel industry, from the finest hotels across the world to premium airlines, cruise lines, destinations and tour operators, and this year has certainly been another tricky one for the industry.
Given the fact that the first third of the year was spent in a full lockdown and the subsequent months saw plenty of restrictions when it came to travelling, domestic travel certainly saw a spike, though the world feels a little more accessible now. Freedom to travel feels far more attainable, and after the unexpected break in international travel, we are sure that keen vacationers will be booking their tickets and embracing what they have missed with gusto.
With the sole aim to showcase the best in their sectors and provide a little publicity for these businesses, it’s safe to say that we have achieved this once again. Our readers like to dream and travel, and they’ve been voting in their thousands – (28,161) to be exact – to have their say from the carefully curated shortlist of options.
So, the results are in and this year, and we can safely say that the winners of each category are well deserved. You can find the full list of winners here, but we have summarised some of the standout winners below, and as our editor-in-chief, Nick Gibbens, commented: “We are so pleased to be able to run our awards yet again and scour the industry for the best of the best. I, for one, cannot wait to truly cannot wait to travel far and wide once again and make the best of these premium picks from our discerning and dedicated readers.
“We are so grateful to all who made it their mission to throw their support behind each and every one of our shortlisted hotels, destinations, cruise lines, airlines, airports, tour operators and travel websites.
“The travel industry is large and employs so very many people who work tirelessly to promote destinations and aim to offer the very best service and experiences for those who like to travel, explore and relax in a variety of exquisite settings. Hopefully, we can give back, albeit in a small way, to those in the industry and throw our support out there too.
“Thank you to those who took the time to enter, for those who voted, for our prize-givers, and we wish the very best to all in the industry, especially those who are just starting out or have only very recently opened their doors again.”
So, who were the standout winners?
In the UK, Carbis Bay Estate in Cornwall has taken the top spot for a second year running in both the best beach/coastal hotel and the best spa/wellness hotel categories proving that this luxurious Westcountry retreat, where this year’s G7 Summit took place really is a favourite for our readers. Ellenborough Park in Cheltenham rose to the top of the best hotel for romance and best boutique hotel categories, while the lake District’s Linwaithe House topped the best hotel for food list, and the best hotel for families went to Bovey Castle in Devon.
London based travel agent Luxtripper swept up and came out victorious in all four categories it was entered for: best tour operator, best tour operator for adventure, best specialist tour operator and best travel website. The favoured airline by far was British Airways, and voted the best city in the UK, Bath pipped London and Edinburgh to the top spot, who were second and third, respectively.
Heading overseas, and the best hotel in Europe was Hungary’s five-star Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, while, for the second year in a row, Amilla Resorts and Residences in Baa Atoll, Maldives came out on top in the best hotel in Asia category. Tranquility Bay Beachfront Resort in Florida also stayed on the top spot, in the best hotel in North America category, with COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach coming in second.
It seems that Royal Caribbean know what they are doing, as the cruise company took the top spot, also for a second year running, for best ocean cruise line. Sandy Lane Hotel, St James in Barbados also came out on top for a second year in the best hotel in the Caribbean, while Greece’s largest island, Crete, made it to the top of the best island section, beating Santorini and St Lucia respectively.
Hopefully you will agree that this has been another great year for the awards and we look forward to visiting and utilising the services of those fine winners above.
