Saluting brilliance at hybrid TWA Readers’ Choice Awards 2021

Travel Weekly Asia paid tribute to the exceptional leaders of the travel and tourism industry at Readers’ Choice Awards 2021, held as a hybrid event this year at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay on 8 December.

Nineteen awards across hotel, cruise and destination categories were presented to first-class organisations that have displayed dedication to unparalleled service, innovation and overall excellence in their respective businesses in the past year.

Ranjit Sukumaran, MD, South East Asia & Korea of IHG Hotels & Resorts, Best International Hotel Chain, shared that it was a significant moment to be able to meet industry peers in a face-to-face event and thanked Travel Weekly Asia for organising such an event because “it is great to play your part in building confidence as we recover from this pandemic”.

He added, “An award like this gives us confidence that we’ve been on the right path and for us to stay the course as we continue to provide true hospitality for good as we continue to ensure at every step of the day, we are providing people, communities and locations we’ve been at with positive impact.”

Gilbert Madhavan, GM of One Farrer Hotel, Best Independent Hotel - Asia Pacific, echoed similar sentiments, “This is the first awards ceremony I’m attending after more than two years, so I feel great and ecstatic, and I’m really happy to be here.”

“During this downtime, we’ve taken the opportunity to redefine many of our products and services and concepts, and we are undergoing some major renovation in parts of our hotel, which will be completed in the first quarter of next year. We definitely look forward to welcoming our readers back so they can experience something old and something new at One Farrer," added Madhavan.

Melvin Lim, GM of ParkRoyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore, Best Upscale Hotel - Asia Pacific shared that the accolade is a recognition of their market positioning by the readers of Travel Weekly Asia. “The win is most significant to us as we are a young brand, having just launched in December last year following a $45 million transformation and rebranding,” he added.

President of Dream Cruises Michael Goh receiving the awards for Best Cruise Line - Asia Pacific and Best Cruise Line - Sales and Services.

For Dream Cruises, winning both Best Cruise Line - Asia Pacific and Best Cruise Line - Sales and Services is significant as they lead the charge in restarting Singapore’s fly-cruise sector. “Winning this award is important as it’s a clear indication and recognition for us, especially since we’ve only started our cruise line five years ago. These two wins give a lot of encouragement to our Dream Cruises colleagues and importantly, give us the energy to make this brand even stronger and to provide excellent customer experiences for our cruisers,” said Michael Goh, president of Dream Cruises.

“The winners of our Readers’ Choice Awards represent the best of the best in the tourism industry in Asia. In the face of a year with unprecedented challenges, they have emerged stronger than before and are ready to meet the rebound demand of the travel market,” said Irene Chua, vice president and group publisher, Asia of Northstar Travel Group.

“Travel volume next year could surpass pre‐pandemic levels. Asia is on a similar trajectory and not far behind. The winners we are recognising for their achievements will certainly be in the right position to take advantage of that and lead the way for Asia’s recovery,” she concluded.

The full list of winners for Travel Weekly Asia 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards are:

HOTEL

CRUISE

DESTINATION