At a glittering ceremony last night, 4 March in Berlin, the “first of the firsts” were announced at the TUI Global Hotel Awards, where the travel giant’s 100 best hotels around the world are awarded. The best hotel worldwide for the third consecutive year was Lindos Blu, in Rhodes! ITB in Berlin honoured Special Recognition Award goes to Fettah Tamince from Rixos and TUI Carbon Reduction Award honours hotels that reduce their ecological footprint. The most popular hotel among guests from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is hotel Tigaiga in Tenerife, as proven at the TUI Global Hotel Awards.
On the eve of ITB Berlin, a special gala event took place in the German capital, where hotel partners were honoured for their exceptional service and quality. With more than 300 hoteliers, ministers, ambassadors and partners from the travel industry in attendance, the TUI Global Hotel Awards are one of the most important events at the world’s leading travel trade show.
At this year’s ITB, in the presence of Group CEO Sebastian Ebel and all senior executives, this year’s TUI Global Hotel Awards were presented to the 100 best hotels in TUI’s portfolio, based on the analysis of customer reviews.
The Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel & Suites on Rhodes has once again been voted the best hotel worldwide. TUI guests from all markets have demonstrated through their exceptional reviews that this hotel and its staff offer outstanding service. Built like an amphitheatre on a hillside overlooking the picturesque Vlicha Bay, the 5-star Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel & Suites is a laid-back retreat that promises complete pampering and relaxation on the cosmopolitan island of Rhodes. The adults-only resort features a series of terraces leading down to a sandy beach, villas and maisonettes with private pools, two restaurants, a penthouse sun terrace, indoor and outdoor pools and a spa.
“We are delighted to announce the 100 best hotels worldwide. This is an extraordinary achievement considering we offer more than 13,000 hotels from Lapland to South Africa and from the Caribbean to Hawaii. I’m particularly impressed that this list was compiled exclusively by the ultimate holiday experts – our guests. I would like to thank our hotel partners for their pioneering role and congratulate them on being among the best hotels in the world,” says David Schelp, CEO Markets & Airlines, TUI Group, who took up this role on 1 January 2024.
In the tourism industry, there are individuals and organisations that have changed the hotel industry. The TUI Special Recognition Award is a tribute to those who have shaped the industry and gone beyond the ordinary. This year’s winner, Fettah Tamince, Founder and Chairman of Rixos Hotels, is one of them.
“Fettah Tamince has pioneered new luxury hotel concepts and sustainability projects. He is constantly pushing the boundaries of what holiday experiences can be, not to mention being a visionary entrepreneur with a global mindset, a philanthropist and a highly engaged, respected partner” emphasised Sebastian Ebel in his laudatory speech.
By creating jobs for the local population and making a significant contribution to regional and national economic growth, Rixos has become an indispensable tourism partner. Fettah Tamince’s latest project is Tersane Istanbul, a major urban redevelopment project that will revitalise the metropolis on the Bosphorus, breathe new life into the community and make it a destination of the future.
At a time when sustainable responsibility is paramount, the TUI Carbon Reduction Award recognises hotels that have made significant progress in reducing their environmental footprint. This year’s award winner is a prime example of this.
The TUI Blue Montafon has taken ambitious steps to reduce emissions:
- Renewable energy
- Gas-free zone
- Electric fleet
- LED glamour
“TUI BLUE Montafon‘s commitment is an important step on a continuous path towards sustainable development. With its reduction of emissions from operations, the hotel shows how sustainable transformation can be turned into reality. The TUI BLUE Montafon in the Austrian Alps, which was only built in 2020, is the perfect starting point for active holidaymakers, winter sports enthusiasts and all mountain lovers,” says Thomas Ellerbeck, Member of the TUI Group Executive Committee and Group Director Corporate & External Affairs & Chief Sustainability Officer.
The TUI Global Hotel Awards also show that guests from different markets have different hotel preferences. Thanks to its hotel partners, TUI is able to cater to these individual needs and offer suitable holiday experiences. The most popular hotel among holidaymakers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland is the Hotel Tigaiga in Puerto de la Cruz in the north of Tenerife. It is known for its cosy atmosphere, high quality standards and location directly in a park with a view of Mount Teide.
“The Hotel Tigaiga from Tenerife has been a permanent guest in our hit lists of favourite hotels for decades. The Talg family and their team manage to make their many regular guests completely happy year after year with their truly personalised service. They not only deserve this award, but also a big round of applause,” says Stefan Baumert, Chairman of the Executive Board, TUI Deutschland GmbH.
The TUI Global Hotel Awards is an annual awards ceremony where TUI recognises the hotels in its travel portfolio that have delivered outstanding service and quality over the past year on behalf of its more than 19 million guests worldwide. The award winners are selected from a pool of 13,000 eligible hotels that have direct contracts with TUI.
The winners
The winners are as follows:
- Best Hotel TUI Germany, Austria & Switzerland – Hotel Tigaiga
- Best Hotel TUI Poland – Hotel Kalithea Mare Palace
- Best Hotel TUI UK & Ireland – Hotel Casa Blu
- Best Hotel TUI Nordics – TUI BLUE Barut Andiz
- Best Hotel TUI Netherlands – Rixos Sharm El Sheikh Adults Only 18+
- Best Hotel TUI Belgium – TUI BLUE Palm Garden
- Best Hotel Cities – H10 Casa de la Plata
- Best Hotel Overland – Hotel Enzian
- Best Hotel Spain, Portugal & West Africa – Hotel Fariones
- Best Hotel East Med’ and North Africa – Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel & Suites
- Best Hotel Long Haul – TUI BLUE Olhuveli Romance
- Best Hotel TUI BLUE – The Residence at TUI BLUE Sensatori Akra Fethiye
- TUI Carbon Reduction Award – TUI BLUE Montafon
- TUI Care Foundation Award – Caramel Grecotel Boutique Resort
- TUI Care Foundation Award – Creta Palace Grecotel Beach Luxe Resort
- Best Hotel Globally – Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel & Suites
- TUI Special Recognition Award – Fettah Tamince – Founder and Chairman of Rixos Hotels
MONEY & TOURISM was at the glorious ceremony and publishes the first photos:
The 19 Greek hotels that were awarded
The 19 Greek hotels that were awarded are as follows:
