This year at Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, we received an overwhelming response from our readers for India’s Best Awards 2017. Close to 150,000 votes were cast in 57 categories to select 97 winners that range from the best country, emerging destination, cruise, business hotel, airport, destination spa, and honeymoon destinations in India and across the world, thousands of Travel + Leisure India & South Asia’s discerning readers have voted robustly and discriminatingly and the competition was very close in most categories.
The guest of honour for the evening, Press Department and Official spokesman of the German Embassy, Mr. Hans Christian WINKLER deliverd a key note speech and presented a few awards. Mr. Inaki Vitorika, Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of Spain, and Sujit Banerjee, Secretary General, World Travel and Tourism Council were some of the esteemed guests who graced the occasion.
A glittering awards ceremony—attended by designer Raghavendra Rathore, beauty expert Shahnaz Hussain, entrepreneur Navin Ansal among others— was held at ITC Maurya, Chanakyapuri on November 17 to felicitate the leaders of the travel and hospitality industry. Browse through our slideshow to know the biggest winners of the evening.
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A complete list of winners follows:
INTERNATIONAL
Best Country – Switzerland
Best City – Dubai, UAE & Melbourne, Victoria
Best Emerging Destination – Korea & Bahrain
Best Heritage Destination – Israel & Mexico
Best Honeymoon Destination – France & Thailand
Best MICE Destination – Hong Kong & Japan
Best Wedding Destination – Abu Dhabi & Macau
Best Food Destination – Rome, Italy & Madrid, Spain
Best Family Destination – Austria
Best Luxury Destination – Baden Baden, Germany & Monte Carlo
Best Adventure Destination – South Africa & Canada
Best Business Hotel – Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai
Best Heritage Hotel – The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore
Best Luxury Resort – Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives & The Venetian Macao
Best Hotel Group – Hyatt Hotels Corporation & AccorHotels
Best Destination Spa – Palazzo Versace Dubai & Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort
Best Hotel Loyalty Programme- SPG – World of Hyatt
Best Golf Resort- Address Montgomerie, Dubai
Best Luxury Safari Resort- Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzani & Ulusaba Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Best Amusement Park- Dubai Park & Resorts
Best Theme Park- Universal Studios Singapore
Best Integrated Resort- Resort World Sentosa, Singapore
Best Cruise- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Best One-Stop Shopping Destination – Bicester Village, UK & Fashion Island California
DOMESTIC
Best State – Gujarat & Tamil Nadu
Best Emerging Destination – Assam
Best Heritage Destination – Madhya Pradesh & Odisha
Best Honeymoon Destination – Kerala & Jammu & Kashmir
Best Wedding Destination – Goa & Rajasthan
Best Family Destination – Himachal Pradesh
Best Spiritual Destination – Bihar
Best Adventure Destination – Sikkim
Best Food Destination – Andhra Pradesh
Best New Hotel – The LaLit Mangar, Faridabad & Andaz Delhi
Best Heritage Hotel – Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad & The Imperial New Delhi
Best Boutique Hotel – Namah & Niraamaya Retreats Cardamom Club, Kerala
Best Hotel for Women Travellers – The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences & Park Hyatt Hyderabad
Best Business Hotel – Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & Le Méridien New Delhi
Best Family Hotel – Fairmont Jaipur & InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort
Best Luxury Business Hotel – Park Hyatt Chennai & The St. Regis Mumbai
Best Luxury Hotel – The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra & ITC Grand Bharat, Gurugram
Best Luxury Resort – Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa & Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kerala
Best Destination Spa – Shamana Spa, Grand Hyatt Goa & Ananda Spa, Ananda in the Himalayas, Rishikesh
Best Hotel Group – The Park Hotels
Best Luxury Hotel Chain – ITC Hotels
Best Airport-International- Singapore Changi Airport
Best Airline- International- Singapore Airlines and Emirates
Best Airport-India- Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
Best Airline-Domestic- Vistara
Best Airport Lounge- Etihad, Abu Dhabi & Lufthansa, Frankfurt
Best Duty-Free Shopping- Delhi Duty Free & Munich Airport Duty Free
Best Luxury Travel Curator- TUI & Cox & Kings India
Best Travel Photographer (Tripoto Powered) – Aamir Wani
Best Travel Writer (Tripoto Powered)– Sreshti Verma
Best Digital Influencer – Rufus Reynolds
Pallavi Phukan
Social Media Head
A social media addict and K-drama fanatic, Pallavi Phukan can often be found endlessly scrolling on Instagram for the next travel destination. When not racking her brains for a clickbait caption, you can catch this digital strategy expert dreaming of a beach vacation with her toddler daughter for company.