Welcome To The Goring. Credit: The Goring
While Forbes Travel Guide gives out yearly awards to the world’s most outstanding hotels, we wanted to recognize the individuals who work hard to make these properties so special. As we wrap up 2018, we look at the hoteliers who earned impressive accolades for delivering service excellence.
Here are the hospitality trailblazers who shined this year.
Cateys
Recipients of these U.K. hospitality awards are nominated and chosen by their peers.
- Concierge Award: John Andrews, head concierge, The Goring, London
- Housekeeper of the Year: Fernanda Telatin Lewis, executive head housekeeper, The Goring
- Special Award: Geoffrey Gelardi, former managing director, The Lanesborough, London
- International Outstanding Achievement Award: Wolfgang Puck
Mandarin Oriental, Paris. Credit: Mandarin Oriental, Paris
Hotels Magazine
Readers of the hospitality trade magazine vote on winners.
- Independent Hotelier of the World: Philippe Leboeuf, area vice president of operations and general manager, Mandarin Oriental, Paris
Four Seasons Hotel Firenze’s Patrizio Cipollini. Credit: Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
Virtuoso
More than 1,000 travel agency members and 17,500 professional travel advisers choose the winner.
- Best of the Best Hotelier of the Year: Patrizio Cipollini, general manager, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Florence
The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong. Credit: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC
The Hotelier Awards (Greater China)
A judging panel of travel and hospitality experts determines the winners.
- General Manager of the Year: Richard Hatter, Hotel ICON, Hong Kong
- Chef Hotelier of the Year: Calvin Soh, executive director of culinary operations, City of Dreams, Studio City and Altira Macau
- Food and Beverage Hotelier of the Year: Magali Navarro, executive assistant manager of food and beverage, The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong
- Sommelier/Mixologist Hotelier of the Year: Eugene Tan, head sommelier, City of Dreams Macau
- Wellness and Spa Hotelier of the Year: Day Lagasca, director of spa and wellness, Mandarin Oriental, Macau
Ayana Resort and Spa, Bali. Credit: Ayana Resort and Spa, Bali
The Hotelier Awards (Asia)
These honors focus on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and North Asia. Industry experts pick the winners.
- Food & Beverage Hotelier of the Year: Ngakan Made Artana Yasa, Dava restaurant manager, Ayana Resort and Spa, Bali
- Sommelier Hotelier of the Year, Satoru Mori, executive sommelier, Conrad Tokyo
Lucques’ Caroline Styne. Credit: Hugh Galdones
James Beard Awards
Each award category has a committee made up of industry professionals who select judges for their respective awards.
- Humanitarian of the Year: José Andrés, Bazaar Meat
- Outstanding Restaurateur: Caroline Styne, Lucques, Los Angeles
Bloomberg 50
Bloomberg Businessweek’s annual list highlights the innovators in business, entertainment, finance, politics and technology and science whose accomplishments were noteworthy in 2018.
- Sonia Cheng, CEO, Rosewood Hotel Group. Cheng introduced four new hotels and announced seven more as part of an ambitious plan that will see Rosewood’s 24-property portfolio double by 2023.
