Three Greek hotels win European Hospitality Awards

Three Greek hotels won the following distinctions at the 8th annual European Hospitality Awards :

• Green Hotel of the Year: The Romanos, A Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Navarino Messinia.
• Best Hotel Restaurant: Kitchen Club, Casa Cook Rhodes, Kolymbia.
• Best Hotel Bar: 363 Champagne lounge at Grace Santorini, Santorini. 

On the evening of 9 November, more than 130 of the leading figures from the international

hotel sector gathered at London’s Tower Hotel to celebrate the best and brightest in the

contemporary hospitality industry.

During a gala dinner, awards were handed out across 15 categories, with winners selected by

a judging panel that included Mark Bruce from EPR Architects, Florent Duperrin from

Gensler, Phin Foster from HMI Magazine, Richard Harris from Capital Work Services,

Andrew Linwood from Areen Design, Rolf Schmidt from Top Hotel Projects, Barry Thomas

from Rosewood London and Steve Waldron, from Grange Hotels. 

The big winner on the night was the Park Hyatt Mallorca. Not only was the property

recognised as Opening of the Year – New Build, but Park Hyatt’s first European resort was

also the recipient of the Overall Winner accolade – the property deemed the outstanding

shortlisted entrant across all categories by the European Hospitality Awards judging panel.

It was also a night to remember for Meliá Hotels International, with the Spanish hotel

operator amassing wins across three categories, including flagship property Gran Melia

Palacio de los Duques being recognised as the Opening of the Year – Renovation or

Conversion.

Arguably the highlight of the evening, however, was the presentation of the European

Hospitality Award for Lifetime Achievement to Gerald Lawless, with the trailblazing hotelier

having flown in from Dubai specifically for the event.

After 23 years with Forte, Lawless was hired by Sheikh Mohammad in 1997 when the

nascent Jumeirah numbered just one operational hotel. Over the course of the next 18 years,

the Irish hotelier opened a further 23 iconic properties in 12 destinations, left plenty more in

the pipeline, established Jumeirah as a luxury powerhouse, created one of the region’s most

instantly recognisable brands and helped revolutionise the Middle Eastern hotel market.

Having stepped down as CEO and president of Jumeirah Group last year, the Irish national

currently serves as chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

Lawless joins an illustrious group of previous winners of the European Hospitality Award for

Lifetime Achievement, which includes British hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, former Rezidor

president and CEO Kurt Ritter, and Meliá Hotels International founder Gabriel Escarrer Juliá.

 “The quality of entrants this year was incredibly high and speaks favourably of the current

health of the hotel sector,” said Phin Foster, editor-in-chief of Hotel Management

International and European Hospitality Awards judging panel member. “The event is a great

opportunity to recognise successes right across the industry and I’m happy to see it going

from strength to strength.”

A full list of the winners of the European Hospitality Awards 2017 can be read below. For

details of all shortlisted entrants, please visit www.arena-international.com/eha.

Full list of winners

• Overall Winner: Park Hyatt Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain
• Lifetime Achievement: Gerald Lawless
• Best Boutique Hotel: The Lalit London, London, UK. 
• Green Hotel of the Year: The Romanos, A Luxury Collection Resort, Costa Navarino Messinia, Greece
• Opening of the Year – New Build: Park Hyatt Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain. 
• Opening of the Year – Renovation or conversion: Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques, Madrid, Spain
• Best Future Hospitality Building – Under Construction and Drawing Board: Royal Hideaway Corales Resort, Tenerife, Spain. 
• Best Hotel Suite – European and International: The Marylebone Suite – The Marylebone, London, UK. 
• Best Use of Technology: Sol House Social Hub, Meliá Hotels International,
• Hotelier of the Year: Niko Suyasa, Step Ubud Training Hotel, Bali, Indonesia. 
• Hotel Spa of the Year: Thalasso, Masseria San Domenico, Savelletri di Fasano, Italy
• Innovation in Service: Sol House mixed by Ibiza Rocks, Ibiza, Spain
• Best Hotel Restaurant: Kitchen Club, Casa Cook Rhodes, Kolymbia, Greece
• Best Hotel Bar: 363 Champagne lounge at Grace Santorini, Santorini, Greece. 
• International Best resort of the Year: St Regis Vommuli Island, Maldives.