Anguilla was not only adjudged the World’s Leading Luxury Island Destination at the World Travel Awards Grand Final 2014, held at CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa on Sunday, December 7, but Anguilla also proudly scored fifteen individual awards.
Those awards were as follows: Anguilla’s Leading Air Services 2014: Anguilla Air Services;
Anguilla’s Leading Attraction: Anguilla’s Dolpin Discovery;
Anguila’s Leading Independent Car Rental Company: Island Car Rental;
Anguilla’s Leading Ferry Operator: Calypso;
Anguilla’s Leading Casual Restaurant: On da Rocks
Anguilla’s Leading Fine Dining Restaurant: da’Vida;
Anguilla’s Leading Nightlife: Dadz Bar and Grill;
Anguilla’s Leading Boutique Hotel: Frangipani
Anguilla’s Leading Charming Escape: La Vue
Anguilla’s Leading Hotel: Viceroy Anguilla;
Anguilla’s Leading Luxury Villa: Ultimacy Villa Retreat;
Anguilla’s Leading Private Island: Scilly Cay;
Anguilla’s Leading Resort: CuisinArt Resort & Spa
Anguilla’s Leading Ultra Luxury Villa: Ani Villas
Anguilla’s Laeding Spa Resort: CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa.
The World Travel Awards, including the Anguilla Awards, were presented under a specially-designed tent on the grounds of the Club House which houses Italia Restaurant, where a cocktail reception was held for the winners and other visiting and local guests.
It was at the reception that Mr Graham Cooke, President of the World Travel Group Awards, spoke to Anguillian media representatives. “We are all proud to be here and this is great PR for the country,” he stated. “It actually shows that Anguilla can host a world event. We are very proud of what the tourist office and others have done. You have a gem of an island.”
Mr Hadyn Hughes, Anguilla’s Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, commented: “This means a whole lot for Anguilla. This is the Grammy of the travel industry and this is three years in the making. I met Graham Cooke about four years ago and we have been in discussions about having this event in Anguilla. It is immensely important for us and it demonstrates that we have arrived at the top echelons of the travel trade industry. There are not only people coming from the United States, but from Asia, Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Australasia and so on.
“When you have people coming to Anguilla for the first time, who have been at the pinnacle of the travel trade industry of the world, it is important, not only for the Anguillian people to see how far we can go, but also to introduce Anguilla to the rest of the world.”
Mr Stephane Zaharia, General Manager and Vice President of the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, had this to say: “First of all, we are very proud and honoured to host such a prestigious event in Anguilla, and be the host resort at this World Travel Awards in Anguilla. People from all over the world are here – all the key players in the hospitality and tourism industry. So for us to host this is an absolute honour and pleasure to have them down here.
“It is also fantastic exposure for us, especially with the Reef by CuisinArt opening in November 2016, and also for the destination of Anguilla.”
