Dubai was awarded the title for ‘World’s Best Spa Destination’ at the World Spa Awards, the global initiative to recognise and reward excellence in the spa and wellness sector, during the announcement of the winners of its 2020 programme.

Brands to lift top honours include Gstaad Palace, Switzerland (‘World’s Best Hotel Spa’), Lanserhof Tegernsee, Germany (‘World’s Best Medical Spa’) and doTERRA (‘World’s Best Aromatherapy Brand’), whilst the minimal opulence of Utah’s Amangiri led to its acknowledgement as ‘World’s Best Desert Spa’.

Anantara also emerged as one of the big winners by taking the title for ‘World’s Best Hotel Spa Brand’, whilst the cutting-edge facilities of Switzerland’s Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa was recognised in the ‘World’s Best Spa Design’ category.

In the newcomer categories, Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como, Italy was named ‘World’s Best New Hotel Spa’; Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti, Italy was voted ‘World’s Best New Resort Spa’; whilst Qatar’s Zulal Wellness Resort was crowned ‘World’s Best New Wellness Retreat’.

The announcement follows a year-long search for the world’s top spa and wellness brands. Votes were cast by professionals working in the spa and wellness industry and by spa tourism consumers.

Rebecca Cohen, Managing Director, World Spa Awards, said: “Our winners represent the very best of the best in the global spa and wellness sector and my congratulations to each of them. They have all demonstrated remarkable resilience in a year of unprecedented challenges.”

The World Spa Awards 2020 programme received a record number of votes cast by the public. This shows that the appetite for spa and wellness tourism has never been as keen and bodes well for the industry’s future as the global recovery begins.

Other winners included InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, Vietnam (‘World’s Best Resort Spa), One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai (‘World’s Best Hammam Spa) and Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo (‘World’s Best Casino Hotel Spa’).

Launched in 2015 World Spa Awards aims to drive up standards in spa and wellness tourism and foster growth by rewarding the leading organisations in their respective fields. – TradeArabia News Service