The original, transparent and unbiased Haute Grandeur Awards have just wrapped up in Thailand and, as one of the platform's founding sponsors, we wanted to shed some light on a few of our favourite winners. With 105 delegates attending the black-tie event at the Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit last October, the 2017 instalment demonstrated increasing ambition, not just because 522 prizes were presented but because the organisers thought fit to expand the scope this time around with a second category for spas, and even a third for restaurants, due to kick off in 2018.
"A Haute Grandeur Award is a guaranteed golden stamp of excellence, and powerful in its ability to amplify marketing, guest perception and revenue," said the founder and managing director of Haute Grandeur, Marinique de Wet, whose company pioneered this uniquely unprejudiced system, which relies exclusively on the feedback of paying customers rather than a quantity of votes by the general public or judges.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the overall winner, the Rosewood Beijing, which de Wet described as "deserving of this coveted award in every way, as it is an exquisite establishment, renowned for its passion and commitment to impeccable service, and this was demonstrated by the high customer rating score it received this year." Of course, there were many other worthy winners too.
Bali's One Eleven is not your usual Indonesian resort. It comprises just nine one-bedroom villas, no children are allowed, there is no physical spa, and meals are exclusively prepared and served within your own premises. By breaking the rule book, One Eleven goes for an original take on intimacy and exclusivity: each villa comes with a 14-metre pool and 350 square metres of very open space, with only the bedroom and en-suite bathroom afforded windows, curtains and air-conditioning. Privacy is guaranteed, and it sits close enough to the action of Seminyak, but far enough that shoppers and partygoers will not be an annoyance.
When Adrian Zecha created the Amanpuri in 1988, not only was a new laid-back ultra-luxury hotel concept born but a new race of travellers too: Amanjunkies, fiercely loyal customers who craved a piece of the peace (Aman is Sanskrit for peace). Though this group now has an ever-growing roster of 32 destinations, each characterised by exclusivity and minimalist architecture designed to complement its natural and cultural setting, the Amanpuri in Phuket remains one of its best properties, thanks in no small part to staff who literally bow to you every time they see you, a near-telepathic level of service and an extraordinary spa.
Built just outside Türkbükü along a verdant slope edging Bodrum's Paradise Bay, the 60-hectare Mandarin Oriental was designed by Antonio Citterio as a stunning all-in-one resort you would never need to leave. Almost all of its 86 rooms and 23 apartments boast sea views, and among the many amenities are two private beaches, a 3,000-square-metre spa, ten restaurants and an array of amusements for children, from a supervised play-room for toddlers to a games room for older kids and baby-sitting services for when parents want to try the waterfront JuJu Bar, one of the Turkish Riviera's hottest night spots.
Opened in October 2014, the Rosewood Beijing was the brand's first property in Asia and the start of a four-project roll-out in mainland China. It offers 283 spacious rooms that are among the city's largest, opulent interiors mixing modern international design with traditional Chinese references, and a Central Business District location. Among its most memorable aspects are its eager-to-please staff, stunningly dressed in designer uniforms by Mushi's Caroline Deleens, and an array of restaurants including a northern Chinese spot called Country Kitchen that serves the most scrumptious Peking Duck.
Located in Midtown, two blocks from Central Park and a short walk to Times Square, the Park Hyatt New York opened in 2014, occupying the lower quarter of a handsome new 90-storey skyscraper. One could mention its stylish and particularly large rooms, of which there are 210, or its 20-metre indoor swimming pool, from where you can enjoy bird's-eye views over Carnegie Hall while classical music is transmitted via underwater speakers, but what really sets this property apart is its service. Credit goes to general manager Peter Roth and his iPad-wielding team, who clearly take the personal approach to the nth degree.
Overlooking the shores of Lake Geneva in the mountain town of Montreux, the pioneering medical retreat of Clinique La Prairie has been around since 1931, and in that time has welcomed luminaries from Churchill, Thatcher and Bowie to a couple of Popes and many a sports star looking to harvest the benefits of its unorthodox cellular rejuvenation techniques. Though the science of cell therapy remains its best-known practice, this state-of-the-art medi-spa is also specialised in everything from cardiology and neurology to cosmetic surgery, via countless holistic wellness treatments. It does not come cheap, but the best things in life rarely do.
