Emirates retains Best Airline in...

Princess Eugenie joins star-studded line-up at Kensington Palace ceremony

Italy’s Portrait Milano has taken out Hotel of the Year at the 2024 Ultimate Luxury Travel Related Awards (ULTRA) in London, with Dubai's Emirates airline has once again been named ‘Best Airline in the World'.

The annual awards ceremony, held at Kensington Palace in London, also singled out India's The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts as the leading luxury hotel brand; Italy as the most popular holiday hotspot; and The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel, New York as best new hotel.

The ULTRAs, as it's known, is an annual awards event for the luxury travel industry, organised by Nick Perry, Chairman of multi-media brand Ultratravel, with which Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) has collaborated on its Ultratravel Collection.

The world’s leading hotels, destinations, airlines and airports were voted for by the 28 million members of GHA’s loyalty programme GHA Discovery.

The winners

The awards were presented by well-known UK TV presenters Natalie Pinkham and Gethin Jones, with a raft of celebrities in attendance, including Princess Eugenie; Dame Kelly Holmes, the Double Olympic Champion; Charlotte Hawkins, one of the anchors on Good Morning Britain; and Australian and British author Kathy Lette.

Among the most celebrated hotels, Lutetia Paris was crowned ‘Best Hotel in Europe’; Capella Sydney won ‘Best Hotel in Asia/Pacific’; and The Leela Palace New Delhi triumphed as ‘Best Hotel in the Middle East/India’.

The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara was recognised as ‘Best Hotel in Africa/Indian Ocean’, and Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort, was named ‘Best Hotel in the Americas/Caribbean’.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises won ‘Best Luxury Cruise Line’, while Italy was revealed as the ‘Favourite Country for a Holiday’, just a little more popular than runners-up, Australia and Japan.

Singapore Changi Airport emerged victorious in the hotly contested ‘Best Airport in the World’ category, while Virgin Atlantic secured the ‘Best Premium Economy Class,’ and Qatar Airways won ‘Best Business Class’.

In celebration of Ultratravel’s 20th anniversary, a special award for the year’s ‘Most Innovative Airline in the Last 20 Years’ went to Qatar Airways, and Anantara Hotels & Resorts was recognised as the ‘Best Hotel Brand in the Last 20 Years’.

“The ULTRAs are a true reflection of the highest standards in luxury travel today based on the opinions and preferences of millions of GHA Discovery members,” said GHA CEO Chris Hartley.

“I extend my congratulations to all the winners for setting new benchmarks in the industry and showcasing the best of hospitality, aviation, and travel.”

For more information, visit www.globalhotelalliance.com

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