Honouring the stars of China's travel industry

Sporting all shades of the colour purple, guests attending Business Traveller China’s annual awards gala dinner lived up to the night’s theme “Purple Passion”. The lively crowd of some 350 attendees – leading lights of the regional travel industry – filled the Diamond Ballroom of the Westin Bund Center, Shanghai, many eagerly catching up with old colleagues and friends.

The reason for this packed house was the announcement of Business Traveller China's 2012 Readers' Poll results, revealing which hospitality and airline providers impressed the country's most frequent travellers with their service ethic and innovation in customer care.

Trey Lee, internationally renowned cellist, graced the guest-of-honour role, not only handing out trophies to the winners but also impeccably performing a set of melodies from memorable movies. This is the third time the award-winning Lee has performed for the Business Traveller crowd, having done so at the recent 2012 Business Traveller Asia-Pacific 30^th Anniversary Gala Dinner in September and the Business Traveller China Awards in 2009 at Beijing.

Three organisations reprised previous victories for top spots – a testimony to their determination to raise the bar on service: Singapore Airlines for Best Asian Airline Serving China; Cathay Pacific for Best Airline First Class; and Lufthansa for Best European Airline Serving China.

Several garnered the plum for the first time: Singapore for Best Leisure City in the World; Cathay Pacific for Best Airline in the World; Qatar Airways for Best Middle East Airline Serving China; Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund for Best New Business Hotel in China; Mandarin Oriental Sanya for Best Resort Hotel in China; and Mission Hills Resort Haikou for Best Golf Resort in China.

A new prize category, Best Business Hotel in Hainan, was added to the roster, bringing the number of award titles to 36, with the InterContinental Sanya – winner of last year’s Best Resort Hotel in China – as the first to garner the accolade.

There were the expected hospitality and travel names, keep proving year in and year out that their service culture is just too formidable and consistently impeccable to be surpassed. In the airline arena, were Singapore Airlines for Best Asian Airline Serving China, Best Airline Business Class and Best Airline Economy Class; Air China for Best Chinese Airline Serving China; and United Airlines for Best American Airline Serving China. 

The hotel field was once more dominated by winning perennials Grand Hyatt for Best Hotel Brand in the World as well as three “Best Business Hotel in City” titles, which were Best Business Hotel in Beijing, Best Business Hotel in Shenzhen, Best Business Hotel in Macau and close rival Shangri-La for Best Business Hotel Brand in China, which also bagged two goodies, Island Shangri-La for Best Hotel in Hongkong and Shangri-La Changchun for Best Business Hotel in Changchun.

The Ascott retained its long-running hold on the title for Best Serviced Residence Brand in China, while Fraser Suites Nanjing won for the second time recognition as Best Serviced Residence in China.

Initially handed out in 2005, the awards are now classified in 36 categories. The response rate this year was 11.8%.

The results will appear in the January/February 2013 issue of the magazine.

The Chi Heng Foundation, which has helped thousands of AIDS-impacted Chinese children in achieving academic and career success, is again the beneficiary of a Silent Auction organised by Business Traveller China. Since 2006, Panacea Publishing Asia, the magazine's parent company, has been cooperating with the Hong Kong-based charity in its meaningful endeavours.

Photo albums available on Facebook, 163bj.com and Google+

Margie T Logarta

2012 Business Traveller China Awards

CITIES

Favourite Businesss City in the World

1. Hongkong
2. Singapore
3. Taipei





Favourite Leisure City in the World

1. Singapore
2. Bangkok
3. Hongkong





AIRPORTS

Best Airport in the World

1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Hongkong International Airport
3. Shanghai Pudong International Airport





Best Airport in China

1. Hongkong International Airport
2. Beijing Capital International Airport
3. Shanghai Pudong International Airport





AIRLINES

Best Airline in the World

1. Cathay Pacific
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Emirates





Best Chinese Airline serving China

1. Air China
2. China Eastern
3. China Southern





Best Asian Airline serving China

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Cathay Pacific
3. Dragonair





Best American Airline serving China

1. United Airlines
2. Delta Air Lines
3. Air Canada



Best European Airline serving China

1. Lufthansa
2. British Airways
3. Virgin Atlantic


Best Middle-Eastern Airline serving China

1. Qatar Airways
2. Emirates
3. Eithad Airways





Best Airline First Class

1. Cathay Pacific
2. Singapore Airlines
3. Emirates





Best Airline Business Class

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Cathay Pacific
3. Qatar Airways





Best Airline Economy Class

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Cathay Pacific
3. Lufthansa





HOTELS

Best Hotel Brand in the World

1. Grand Hyatt
2. Shangri-La
3. InterContinental





Best Hotel Brand in China

1. Shangri-La
2. Grand Hyatt
3. InterContinental





Best New Business Hotel in China

1. Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
2. The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
3. The St. Regis Shenzhen





Best Resort Hotel in China

1. Mandarin Oriental Sanya
2. InterContinental Sanya Resort
3. Mission Hills Resort Haikou







Best Golf Resort in China

1. Mission Hills Resort Haikou
2. Sofitel Zhongshan Golf  Resort Nanjing
3. Mission Hills Dongguan





Best Serviced Residence Brand in China

1. Ascott
2. Fraser
3. Somerset





Best Serviced Residence in China

1. Fraser Suites Nanjing
2. Ascott MaillenShenzhen
3. Oakwood Premier Guangzhou





BEST BUSINESS HOTEL IN …

Shanghai

1. The Peninsula
2. Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
3. The Langham Xintiandi





Guangzhou 

1. The Garden Hotel
2. The Westin Pazhou
3. The Ritz-Carlton





Dalian 

1. Conrad
2. InterContinental
3. Shangri-La





Tianjin

1. The Westin
2. The St. Regis
3. Sheraton Tianjin Binhai





Beijing

1. Grand Hyatt
2. China World Summit Wing
3. Sofitel Wanda





Changchun 

1. Shangri-La
2. New Century Grand
3. Days







Chengdu 

1. Sheraton Chengdu Lido
2. Shangri-La
3. InterContinental Century City





Shenyang

1. Sheraton Shenyang Lido
2. Crowne Plaza Shenyang Parkview
3. Traders





Hangzhou 

1. Hyatt Regency
2. JW Marriott
3. Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake





Nanjing

1. Jinling Hotel
2. The Westin
3. InterContinental





Chongqing 

1. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chongqing North
2. Hilton
3. Sheraton





Hongkong

1. Island Shangri-La
2. The Peninsula
3. InterContinental Hong Kong





Shenzhen

1. Grand Hyatt
2. Futian Shangri-La
3. The St. Regis





Hainan

1. InterContinental Sanya
2. Mandarin Oriental Sanya
3. The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay





Xiamen 

1. Marco Polo
2. Kempinski
3. The Westin





Macau

1. Grand Hyatt
2. The Venetian
3. Wynn