For the third year, Global Traveler, the only monthly magazine for business and leisure luxury travelers, honored the best in the world of leisure travel at the Leisure Travel Awards. The Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica, Calif., hosted the event for the second consecutive year.

More than 75 guests gathered on the stunning rooftop deck to celebrate the achievements of the winners. As the sun set over the Pacific Ocean, guests from all over the world sampled cuisine and drinks inspired by the winning destinations.

Global Traveler publisher and CEO Francis X. Gallagher presented the 2015 Leisure Travel Awards to winners from the Hotel Shangri-La’s luxurious penthouse suite. Winning companies represented at the event included Hawaiian Airlines, Tourism New Zealand, Silversea Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Tourism Fiji, Melia Hotels International, Viking River Cruises, Turks and Caicos, Celebrity Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, British Virgin Islands Tourism, Israel Ministry of Tourism, Emaar Hospitality Group, British Airways, Etihad Airways and China Airlines.

For the second year, Global Traveler gave special recognition to four companies raising the bar in customized service, environmental initiatives, innovation and community involvement with the Special Achievement Awards. Etihad Airways accepted the Outstanding Customized Service award for its Flying Nanny service and new Residence Cabin. British Airways was awarded with the Outstanding Social Awareness honor for its community investment and work with more than 40 charities including the Flying Start charity. China Airlines took home the prize for Outstanding Innovations for the airline’s new Family Couch seating configuration. American Airlines earned the title of Outstanding Environmental Initiatives for its work with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program.

Nominations came from Global Traveler’s elite Globility Board and well-traveled staff. Following the nomination process, Global Traveler’s esteemed Advisory Board chose the winners. The award winners were announced in the Leisure Lifestyle Edition, available now, and on globaltravelerusa.com.

The Hotel Shangri-La had even more reason to celebrate — May 1 marked the property’s 75^th anniversary. Guests sang Happy Birthday while the Hotel Shangri-La’s director of sales and marketing Michael Abraham blew out the candles on a birthday cake.

For more information on Global Traveler and the Leisure Travel Awards, visit globaltravelerusa.com. Check out a recap of the awards event in our September issue, available September 1.

About Global Traveler
Global Traveler, the only AAM-audited U.S.-based magazine for the international business and leisure traveler, is a business travel and lifestyle publication with an AAM paid circulation of 109,000+.

About FXExpress Publications, Inc.
FXExpress Publications, Inc., based in Yardley, Pa., is a privately held company publishing Global Traveler, China Global Traveler, eFlyer USA; eFlyer Asia, Trazee Travel and several annuals; and also operating globaltravelerusa.com, globaltravelerusa.com/blog, china-globaltraveler.com and trazeetravel.com.