NEW YORK, NEW YORK: May 10, 2024 – Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand, is pleased to announce the winners of its 2024 Preferred Awards of Excellence and GIFTTS Pineapple Awards. The awards were presented on May 9 at SUD Lisboa, part of the SANA Group, at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Preferred Global Conference. With Preferred celebrating its 20th year of Ueberroth family ownership, the conference theme Journey, chosen to reflect the company’s inspiring growth over the past two decades. The much-anticipated 2024 awards pay homage to the brand’s evolution and ongoing commitment to its independent hotel members in their collective mission to lead the way as visionaries in the hospitality space.

“It is an honor to recognize these exceptional hoteliers, and their dedicated teams, who share a deep commitment and passion for curating the finest, most authentic, independent hotel experiences,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with a myriad of distinctive independent hotels worldwide. We take great pride in celebrating their exemplary guest service and championing the initiatives they undertake to positively impact communities and ignite the wanderlust of travelers across the globe.”

The Global Conference was held at Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ L.V.X. Collection member EPIC SANA Marquês Hotel, a chic and sophisticated retreat perched in the picturesque hills of Lisbon, with the closing ceremony taking place at the SANA Group’s unique events space, SUD Lisboa. The final night was attended by over 200 hospitality industry leaders, included guest speakers Robert B. Chavez, Executive Chairman of Hermès, and Shazia Din, Marketing and Digital Sales Director from SANA Hotels, 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’s (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, the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Shiji ReviewPro Award for Online Reputation Management.

2024 GIFTTS Pineapple Award Winners

These awards celebrate member hotels that take the meaning of genuine hospitality beyond the lobby and into their communities and the larger world by showcasing an outstanding commitment to philanthropy, sustainability, and social responsibility as part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ GIFTTS program. With nearly 100 property submissions across four categories, the 2024 winners are as follows:

• Philanthropy: Rancho Santana (Tola, Nicaragua) - L.V.X. Collection
• Sustainability: Dromoland Castle (County Clare, Ireland) - Legend Collection
• Overall Hotel: Half Moon (Montego Bay, Jamaica) - Legend Collection
• Overall Corporate Entity: New Otani Hotels (Tokyo, Japan) including Hotel New Otani Tokyo 'The Main' (L.V.X. Collection) and Hotel New Otani Tokyo 'EXECUTIVE HOUSE ZEN' (Legend Collection)

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

2024 Preferred Awards of Excellence

These awards recognize member hotels that epitomize excellence within the Preferred Hotels & Resorts portfolio of over 600 hotels, resorts, and residences in 80 countries, and inspire the global travel community to pursue #ThePreferredLife. This year’s honorees across 11 categories are as follows:

• Hotel of the Year Overall: The Beaumont Hotel (London, United Kingdom) - Legend Collection
• Hotel of the Year – United States & Canada: The Dominick (New York, United States)

- Legend Collection

• Hotel of the Year – Latin America (Mexico, Central, & South America): NIZUC Resort & Spa (Cancun, Mexico) - Legend Collection
• Hotel of the Year – Europe: Castille Paris – Starhotels Collezione (Paris, France) -

L.V.X Collection

• Hotel of the Year – Asia Pacific: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu (Tokyo, Japan) - Legend Collection
• Hotel of the Year – South Asia, Middle East & Africa: Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa

(Cape Town, South Africa) - L.V.X Collection

• New Hotel of the Year – Resort: Grand Hotel Son Net (Mallorca, Spain) - Legend Collection
• New Hotel of the Year – City Center: The Hotel Maria (Helsinki, Finland) - Legend Collection
• I Prefer Hotel of the Year (Joint Winners):
  • Inn By The Sea (Maine, United States) - L.V.X. Collection
  • The Fullerton Hotel Sydney (Sydney, Australia) - Legend Collection
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Mark Nolan, (Managing Director of Dromoland Castle, County Clare, Ireland) – Legend Collection
• Shiji ReviewPro Award for Online Reputation Management: Grand Velas Riviera Maya (Riviera Maya, Mexico) - Legend Collection

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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