Preferred Hotels & Resorts Announces 2023 Awards of Excellence and GIFTTS Pineapple Awards Winners

Recipients Honored at 2023 Preferred Global Conference at Half Moon in Jamaica 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: May 19, 2023 – Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand, is pleased to announce the winners of its 2023 Preferred Awards of Excellence and GIFTTS Pineapple Awards. The awards were presented yesterday at Half Moon, a member of the brand’s Legend Collection in Montego Bay, Jamaica, at the closing ceremony of the 2023 Preferred Global Conference. With the Preferred brand in its 55th year, and the conference theme Heart of Hospitality chosen to convey the collective passion for service shared by attendees, the 2023 awards reflected the brand’s long held commitment to independent hotels and turned the spotlight on the sustainability and philanthropic efforts of its member properties.  

“It is always a great honor and privilege to present these awards to exceptional hoteliers who, along with their teams, share a deep commitment and enthusiasm for hospitality that creates lifelong memories,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. “As we celebrate our 55th year, we are proud to represent so many inspiring independent hotels around the world, championing the best-in-class guest service they provide and promoting the initiatives they take to positively impact communities locally and globally.” 

Held in The Royal Pavilion at Half Moon - an iconic 400-acre beach resort on Montego Bay, the ceremony was attended by over 200 hospitality industry leaders, including guest speakers Shelia Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and Jordin Greene from Signature Travel Network, along with hundreds of independent luxury hoteliers from around the world. CEO Lindsey Ueberroth and President Michelle Woodley opened the ceremony honoring nominees to the GIFTTS Pineapple Awards, which celebrate the brand’s Great Initiatives for Today and Tomorrow’s Society (GIFTTS) program launched by the Ueberroth Family in 2007. The Preferred Awards of Excellence followed, with this year’s categories spanning a range of categories including New Hotel of the Year, I Prefer Hotel of the Year, Hotelier of the Year, and the Shiji ReviewPro Award for Online Reputation Management. 

2023 GIFTTS Pineapple Award Winners 

These awards celebrate exceptional actions in the areas of philanthropy, environment, and community as part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ GIFTTS program. This year’s nominees truly embody the meaning behind the conference’s Heart of Hospitality theme, providing hospitality that extends beyond their doors to the community and beyond. With more than 50 properties nominated across four categories, the 2023 winners are as follows: 

• Philanthropy: La Casa de la Playa (Legend Collection) - Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico 

• Sustainability: The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong (Legend Collection) - Aberdeen, Hong Kong, SAR China 

• Overall Corporate Social Responsibility - Hotel: Porta Hotel Antigua (Lifestyle Collection) - La Antigua, Guatemala 

• Overall Corporate Social Responsibility – Corporate Entity: Lefay Resorts (Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda and Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti; both Legend Collection) - Italy 

For more information on GIFFTS, visit www.preferredhotels.com/giftts.  

2023 Preferred Awards of Excellence 

These awards recognize member hotels that epitomize excellence within the Preferred Hotels & Resorts portfolio of over 650 hotels, resorts, and residences, and inspire the global travel community to pursue #ThePreferredLife. This year’s honorees across 12 categories are as follows: 

• Hotel of the Year Overall: Chatham Bars Inn (Legend Collection) – Chatham, Massachusetts, United States 

• Hotel of the Year – United States & Canada: The Hermitage Hotel (Legend Collection) – Nashville, Tennessee, United States) 

• Hotel of the Year – South America: Hotel Unique (Legend Collection) – Sao Paulo, Brazil 

• Hotel of the Year – Mexico, Central America & Caribbean: Porta Hotel Antigua (Lifestyle Collection) – La Antigua, Guatemala  

• Hotel of the Year – Europe: Casa di Langa (L.V.X. Collection) – Langhe Piedmont, Italy 

• Hotel of the Year – Asia Pacific: EQ (L.V.X. Collection) – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  

• Hotel of the Year – South Asia, Middle East & Africa: The Imperial New Delhi (Legend Collection) – New Delhi, India 

• New Hotel of the Year – Resort: Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club (L.V.X. Collection) – Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla 

• New Hotel of the Year – City Center: The Wall Street Hotel (L.V.X. Collection) - New York, New York, United States) 

• I Prefer Hotel of the Year: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo (Lifestyle Collection) – Tokyo, Japan 

• Hotelier of the Year: Stephen Johnston, (General Manager and Managing Director of Boston Harbor Hotel – Legend Collection) 

• Shiji ReviewPro Award for Online Reputation Management: The Social House (Lifestyle Collection) – Nairobi, Kenya 

To qualify for nominations, hotels are required to rank among the top in their region as part of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Integrated Quality Assurance program – which includes third party on-site inspections and real-time guest feedback from the world’s top consumer review sites – and actively demonstrate strong engagement in their partnership with the Preferred brand. From the pool of qualified hotels, the brand’s team of regional leaders draw a shortlist across categories with the awards committee, chaired by the Ueberroth Family, selecting the winners. 

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