Banyan Tree achieves 600 awards milestone

Continues to increase in global recognition with 70 awards this year as group expands.

A leading manager and developer of premium resorts, hotels and spas in the world, Banyan Tree Holdings Limited (“Group”) has to date received over 70 awards in 2010, reaching the 600th milestone since its inception in 1994. This follows the Group’s expansion, both within and outside of Asia Pacific. Continued efforts and innovation in the realms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and spa services have also garnered further recognition in 2010, according to a Banyan Tree report.

“This bumper crop of international awards is timely as we continue to reinforce our position as a leading global player, outside of our comfort zones in Asia-Pacific,” says Mr. Ho KwonPing, Executive Chairman, Banyan Tree Holdings Limited. “We are honoured to receive recognition for our new hotels in China, Mexico and the Middle East, as well as continued support for established properties like Banyan Tree Phuket and Banyan Tree Seychelles.”

Global footprints
As an example, the Group’s foray into Mexico – Banyan Tree Mayakoba opened in 2009, followed by Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués early this year – has been well received, with inclusions in the prestigious Travel+Leisure USA IT List and Condé Nast Traveler USA Hot List. Within its first year of opening, Banyan Tree Mayakoba emerged first amongst over 180 hotels in Playa del Carmen on TripAdvisor.com, and was also recognised as the most romantic hotel in the Caribbean and Mexico.

In China, where Banyan Tree currently operates four resorts and has over 15 new projects slated to open by 2013, the Group has also garnered significant recognition amongst the travel trade, business community and the general public. These include the annual China Hotel Starlight Award and 21st Century Business Herald Golden Pillow Award. In addition, Banyan Tree has been recognised as a leading practitioner of sustainable tourism and development in China by influential financial news media The Economic Observer and Business Watch Magazine, as well as the China Green Hotel Committee.

World savers
The dedication to CSR has been embedded in Banyan Tree’s core values since the 1994 founding of Banyan Tree Phuket in Thailand, where a toxic tin mine site was rehabilitated and restored. Defining overall success as a combination of the triple bottom line of economy, society and environment, CSR initiatives incorporated in recent years include Greening Communities, Seedlings mentorship programme, and environmental benchmarking and certification with the EarthCheck tool. The Group’s continued commitment to social responsibility has also been recognised by Condé Nast Traveler USA in five categories in its 2010 World Savers Awards, including the overall “Doing It All” winner among large hotel chains.

Holistic wellness, winners all round
To date, Banyan Tree Spa has received over 15 awards in 2010, which further reinforces its position as the leading spa operator in Asia. This month, Banyan Tree Spa was named the winner of the “Outstanding Performance Award for Health Tourism (Destination Spa)” in the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s annual Thailand Tourism Awards. Banyan Tree Spa Phuket, which pioneered the tropical garden spa experience, was voted the top “Favourite Spa in Overseas Hotels” in Condé Nast Traveller UK’s Readers’ Travel Awards. Its proprietary training philosophy and signature techniques were lauded when Banyan Tree Spa Academy was crowned with the “Grand Award in Education and Training” in the 2010 PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Gold Awards.