A culinary accolade to celebrate a 10 year anniversary

MAJEKA House & Spa in the heart of South Africa’s famous Cape Winelands is a stylish, fabulously quirky, boutique hotel with the added-bonus of boasting one of the country’s best restaurants.

MAKARON, under the culinary expertise of Head Chef Lucas Carstens, has just been announced as one of the winners in the 2018 American Express Platinum Fine Dining awards held in Constantia on 1 October 2018 – a great culinary accolade to celebrate their 10-year anniversary this month. Makaron has also previously been nominated for Condé Nast Gourmet Restaurant Awards and is repeatedly listed amongst the Top 30 restaurants by Eat Out.

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Award-winning Seabreeze Resort Samoa

THE luxurious Seabreeze Resort, Samoa has won “Best Deluxe Accommodation” for the second year at the recent 2018 Samoan Tourism Excellence Awards. The awards, which began in 2017, are voted on by visitors through guest surveys distributed at Faleolo Airport, Apia and in Apia town by the Samoa Tourism Authority.

In 2016 Seabreeze was recognised as the number one hotel in Upolo and ranked 11 out of 25 for the Top 25 small hotels in the South Pacific in the 2016 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice™ awards and was voted 9th in the Top 25 resorts in the South Pacific for Romance in the Travellers’ Choice Awards (2016 and 2014). 

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Discovery Shores ends 2017 on a high

DISCOVERY Shores, a luxury beach resort in the island of Boracay, sealed 2017 with several notable international recognitions. This top destination received a total of 10 prestigious awards, including two from the 2017 World Luxury Hotel Awards. This makes the property’s 10th anniversary celebration truly a memorable one.

The five-star hotel was named Country Winner in the Luxury Wedding Destination and Luxury Family Resort categories. Frances Maniquis, Director of Marketing Communications of Discovery Shores Boracay, received two awards during the awarding ceremony held at the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

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Madeira: World's leading island destination

FOR the third year in a row, the World Travel Awards has recognised #Madeira Islands as the World’s Leading Island Destination of 2017.

Competing alongside with other emblematic and exotic island destinations, Madeira again collected the annual award that recognises excellence in the stand-out tourism brands and locations around the world, distinguishing itself as the best island tourist destination on the globe since 2015.

The “Tourism Oscars” were awarded at a ceremony held on December 10th, in Vietnam.

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Cruise News

World Dream, the newest mega ship of Asia’s luxury cruise line Dream Cruises made history as the first-ever cruise ship to be christened in Hong Kong on Friday, 17 November 2017. In celebration of this monumental occasion, Dream Cruises launched an innovative “#TogetherWeBuildDreams” campaign, which engaged cruise enthusiasts from around the world to build a large-scale replica of World Dream, in attempt to break the current world record of the largest LEGO® ship. 

After two months of relentless effort, the giant ship model, collectively built by over 1,000 cruising guests, members of the public, as well as Mr. Andy Hung and Legend Creative, the first LEGO Certified Professional in Greater China region and his team, was officially unveiled at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal today. The attempt was declared successful upon onsite adjudication and the official Guinness World Records certificate presentation.

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On the water . . .

STAR Cruises, The Most Popular Cruise Line in Asia, was honoured with the Best Itinerary Award during the Shanghai Cruise Tourism Festival organized by the Shanghai Baoshan Government on 23 September 2017.

This award was in recognition of Star Cruises’ innovative 8D7N “Golden Sea Route” itinerary to Japan departing from Shanghai to the Japanese ports of Osaka and Tokyo with additional ports of call to take in the natural wonders of Mount Fuji and Kagoshima.

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Rainforest Resort

ANSE Chastanet is set amid a lush 600-acre estate with two soft-sand beaches and breathtaking views of St. Lucia's twin Pitons mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Amidst St. Lucia's lush tropical beauty, activities range from jungle biking, hiking and bird watching to snorkeling on the reef within swimming distance of the beach. 

The environmentally friendly, award-winning resort comprises 49 individually designed rooms, 37 of which are scattered about a lush hillside, and 12 that are nestled within a tropical garden at beach level.  

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Kitzbühel crowned “Austria’s Best Ski Resort”

Kitzbühel was crowned “Austria’s Best Ski Resort” at this year’s World #Ski Awards, a title was also awarded to the Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel as “World’s Best Ski Resort Company”.

The Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel invested no less than €26.5m last season – the largest amount in its history. The Brunn Project was the main point of investment, opening up a whole new world of quality and standards of comfort. For even better skiing in Winter 2016/17, there have also been major improvements to the artificial snowmaking facilities.

The renowned Hahnenkamm races and the Snow Polo World Cup take place in Kitzbühel. A further bonus is Kitzbühel’s accessibility from the UK. Situated in West #Austria in the middle of the Tirolean Alps, it is within easy reach of three international airports – Salzburg (80km), Innsbruck (95km) and Munich (125km).

To find out more, visit www.kitzbuehel.com/en or www.kitzski.uk

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Best golf clubhouse is . . .

THE best golf clubhouse in #South Africa is The Club at Steyn City Golf Course, according to voters who took part in the World #Golf awards 2016. 

The clubhouse has been designed to merge with the surrounding landscape with the use of stone, wood and glass in its construction, it is has a 'growing' roof planted with native grasses and vegetation.

Once acre upon acre of barren land that included a disused mine quarry, it is now a parkland residence that just happens to have a Jack Nicklaus design golf course, just one aspect of the multitude of leisure options available at Steyn City.

The Steyn City golf course is an 18-hole championship course, par 72 over 

7000 metres from the championship tees.

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Two scoops please

#BOURNEMOUTH took two top accolades at the 2016 #Dorset #Tourism Awards for the second year in a row. The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum picked up gold for Small Attraction of the Year and the resort’s new Information Centre took silver for Tourist Information Service of the Year.

Other Bournemouth winners included:

Small Hotel / Boutique Accommodation of the Year – The Grove Hotel (Silver) and Cliff House Hotel (Bronze)

Café & Tearoom of the Year – Little Pickle Deli Café (Bronze)

Tourism Event & Festival of the Year – Shake and Stir Vintage Festival (Silver) and Bournemouth Wheels Festival (Highly Commended)

Venue & Business Tourism Award – BH Live in partnership with Business Events Bournemouth (Bronze)

Tourism Experience of the Year – Dorset Day Trips (Silver) and RockReef on Bournemouth Pier (Bronze)

Unsung Hero Award for Customer Service – Brenden Howard at The Grove Hotel

Large Hotel of the Year – Hilton Bournemouth (Gold)

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London: Top global sports city

THE Global Sports Cities Index 2016 was revealed during the Global #Sports #Tourism Summit at the World Travel Market in London on Monday.

London has hosted, or is set to host, 13 world championships and multi-sports games over the analysed period (2010-2023). Only Moscow (16) and Paris (14), and a 2024 Olympic Games candidate city will host more events during this period. However, these do not score as highly as the events taking place in London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London has rightly retained the title of sporting capital of the world following a great year hosting NFL at Wembley and Twickenham, Andy Murray's great win at Wimbledon and‎ the European Aquatics Championships at the London Aquatic Centre, to name but a few. The Global Sports Cities Index confirms that London is open to the world for staging spectacular events."

Top ten global sports cities were:

1. London
2. Rio de Janiero
3. Tokoyo
4. Moscow
5. Doha
6. Paris
7. Budapest
8. Copenhagen
9. Beijing
10. Kazan

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Gold for being green

ST LUCIA'S Jade Mountain resort has become the first hotel in the #Caribbean to receive the coveted LEED GOLD (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification status.

Nick Troubetzkoy, who designed and built the multiple award winning resort which overlooks the Piton Mountains rising from the Caribbean Sea in front of Jade Mountain, said: "The beauty of St Lucia's landscapes, the warmth and character of its people and the unlimited potential to create something very special here captured my imagination. "

Troubetzkoy described Jade Mountain, artfully sculpted into the mountainside, as "a response to almost every hotel I've ever visited ... where I found myself disappointed by what I encountered."

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Accolade for Verdura golf resort

#VERDURA RESORT'S position among the world's top golf destinations has been enhanced after the #Sicily resort was acclaimed by #Golf Digest. 

The magazine – which has more than 1.6 million subscribers in the US alone – named Verdura as one of the recipients of an 'Editors Choice’ award for Best International Resorts 2016.

Verdura has two 18-hole championship courses and par-three nine-hole course.

On Sicily's southern coast, the resort has 203 rooms and suites.

www.roccofortehotels.com

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NZ voted world’s top country … again

#NEWZEALAND has been named ‘favourite country’ for the fourth consecutive year in the Daily and Sunday Telegraph’s annual travel readers’ awards. 

Kevin Bowler, Chief Executive Tourism New Zealand, said: ‘This award is a real honour to receive and a tribute to the work done by all of those in the New Zealand community. It’s great to know that, even though there are so many wonderful countries to visit around the globe, New Zealand still ranks as number one.’

New Zealand beat off competition from the Maldives and South Africa to take the top spot.

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Award for The Enchanted Forest

THE ENCHANTED FOREST, Perthshire’s sound and light show, has staved off competition from 38 Scottish tourism providers to take home the Tourism & Hospitality Award in the Scottish Rural Awards. 

The show, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year, drew more than 62,000 visitors to the Highland Perthshire area in 2015 over a 32-night run, a 33% increase on the previous year.

The event’s impact on the local tourism economy is now expected to be in the region of £2.75 million a year, with more than 50% of all visitors to the event choosing to stay overnight in the area after their visit, and 90% citing the event as their main reason for visiting the area in the autumn.

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Maltese Islands best in the Med for divers

THE MALTESE ISLANDS once again claimed third place in the category for 'Best Diving Destination' at the recent International Dive Show in London. The award places #Gozo and #Malta as the most popular #diving destination in the Mediterranean, as voted for by thousands of Diver magazine readers.

The Maltese Archipelago offers a diverse range of diving experiences to suit all levels, from beginners to experienced divers. The islands have a varied marine-life, a choice of submerged wrecks, and almost 50 professional diving centres.

Malta Tourism Authority CEO Paul Bugeja said: ‘The reasons for Malta's popularity are many: the clean and clear waters that surround our islands, the diversity of underwater experiences, and the sterling work carried out by the local diving community in improving the products and services offered. The award continues to prove that Gozo and Malta are must-see diving destinations.’

First place and second places in the DIVER Destination of the Year award went to Egypt and the Maldives respectively.

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Las Colinas Golf & Country Club aims to be Spain's best

LAS COLINAS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB is looking to retain its crown as Spain's leading villa resort having been shortlisted again by the World Travel Awards.

Says Cristóbal Guerrero, the resorts director general: ‘We are thrilled to be shortlisted once again for these awards. It would be a real honour to continue as Spain's leading villa resort, with aspirations to go one better and become the best in Europe.’

#LasColinas #Golf & Country Club is south of #Alicante. It is possible to purchase an apartment or villa in the grounds, with an extra 56 apartments and 36 detached villas being built in 2016 due to increased demand. Apartments start at €250,000 (£197,000), with villas starting at €490,000 (£387,000).

For sport lovers, Las Colinas has Spain's best golf course (World Golf Awards 2015), a golf academy, tennis and paddle tennis courts, and a gym.

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Accolade for golf resort

PGA CATALUNYA RESORT has been named Europe’s Best #Golf Development at the International Property Awards. 

Industry experts cited it as the best example of a golf and real estate development in Europe due to its exceptional facilities, design, continued investment in infrastructure, and location.

In 2013/2014, the resort was voted Spain’s best golf course at the world golf awards and, for the fourth consecutive year, by Top100GolfCourses.co.uk.

The #CostaBrava resort – 50 minutes from Barcelona – has two world-class courses and a range of villas and apartments.

www.pgacatalunya.com

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Golf: Terrace Downs named best hotel in New Zealand

THE best #golf course hotel in #NewZealand is Terrace Downs, Canterbury, according to voters who took part in the World Golf awards. 

An hour by road from Christchurch on South Island, the par 72, 18-hole championship course and resort has views of the Rakaia Gorge, and offers a mix of parklands and links golf with 11 lakes, more than 60 bunkers, and a choice of four tees.

The resort isn’t just for golfers. There’s clay bird shooting, archery, horse riding, hunting, fishing, and skiing, too.
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They’re winners!

WINNERS in the 2015 Food and Travel magazine reader awards were: 

Tour operator: Abercrombie & Kent 

Short-haul airline: easyJet 

Long-haul airline: Emirates 

Cruise line, small ship/adventure: Oceania 

Cruise line, ocean: Celebrity Cruises 

Cruise line, overall winner: UniWorld 

City: Edinburgh 

Destination: Italy 

Breakthrough chef: Tomos Parry, Kitty Fisher's, London 

Chef: Tom Kerridge 

Restaurant, overall winner: Le Gavroche, London

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/69460501@N04/7516872422">Rom - San Pietro  - Blick von aus Laterne über den Petersplatz</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)