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 30th 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.
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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