Soneva’s newest resort in Maldives, Soneva Jani has been named Best Over-the-Top Luxury hotel of the year by Jetsetter.com.
Jetsetter.com, the world’s go-to brand for travellers with discerning taste, announced on Monday the winners of its annual Best of the Best hotel awards. Soneva Jani won the Best Over-the-Top Luxury hotel award with another newly opened Maldives’ resort, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort named the runner-up.
Soneva Jani is Soneva’s newest property, which opened in late 2016. Soneva Jani encompasses a collection of 24 overwater villas and one island villa set in a 5.6 kilometre private lagoon located in the northern Noonu Atoll. The resort spans five islands surrounded by pure white beaches, covered in rich tropical vegetation, offering the ultimate in privacy and luxury.
The second placed St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort was recently included by Condé Nast Traveler amongst the best hotels opened last year. Run by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the resort opened its doors in November with just 77 villas spread across the private island in Dhaalu Atoll. The resort offers six innovative dining experiences and and overwater spa.
This year’s Best of the Best hotel awards by Jetsetter.com include 22 “Best” categories ranging from Over-the-Top Luxury and Best-Looking Guests to All-Inclusive and Nightlife. Each category includes a winner and one runner-up, with the winners being:
- Best Big City Sleep: The Beekman, a Thompson Hotel, New York
- Best Style Steal: Amastan Paris
- Best Boutique: The Dewberry, Charleston
- Best for Romance: Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Seychelles
- Best Design: Il Sereno Lago di Como, Italy
- Best Game-changer: The Asbury Hotel, New Jersey
- Best on the Beach: Le Barthélemy, St. Barts
- Best All-Inclusive: Grand Velas Los Cabos, Mexico
- Best Over-the-Top Luxury: Soneva Jani, Maldives
- Best Looking Guests: 11 Howard, New York
- Best Nightlife: Ace Hotel New Orleans
- Best Pool Scene: Casa Cook Rhodes, Greece
- Best Comeback: Pulitzer Amsterdam
- Best Safari-Lodge: andBeyond Matetsi River Lodge, Zimbabwe
- Best Business-Meets-Pleasure: The Peninsula Beijing
- Best for Communing with Nature: Nekupe, Nicaragua
- Best for Wellness: Amanemu, Japan
- Best Far-Flung Escape: Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Oman
- Best Grounds: Leeu Estates, South Africa
- Best for Food: Coombeshead Farm, England
- Best For Families: Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Hawaii
- Audience Favourite: PUBLIC Chicago
In a statement, Jetsetter.com’s Lindsey Olander said deciding this year’s Best of the Best awards was the hardest yet. The 22 winners were selected after months of culling countless recommendations from both editors and insiders, she added.
“In an industry that keeps redefining where we should spend our every hour, choosing where we sleep, eat, and experience a destination has become more important than ever,” the statement read.
Jetsetter.com, part of the world’s largest travel site TripAdvisor, provides great hotel deals, in-the-know destination guides and useful travel tips to its more than 33 million members. From hotels to insightful stories to trip planning, Jetsetter is designed to match discerning travellers with their ideal travel experience. Each property featured is hand-selected by a team of curators and by Jetsetter’s global network of correspondents. Jetsetters can browse limited-time sales of up to 40 percent off, peruse the Jetsetter permanent collection of more than 6,500 hotels and resorts or find travel ideas and inspiration in the newly redesigned magazine.