FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

Leisure Lifestyle Awards 2016 Recap

by Kimberly Inlander

Sep 1, 2016
2016

For the fourth consecutive year, Global Traveler honored the best of the best in the world of leisure lifestyle travel, including destinations, airlines, cruise lines and hotels, at its annual Leisure Lifestyle Awards celebration. For the first time we feted the winners at the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, enjoying a picture-perfect evening overlooking Beverly Hills from the hotel’s rooftop venue.

Industry elite enjoyed themed cuisine and cocktails as the sun set over the City of Angels. The Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills enjoys an enviable location and offers multiple options for hosting successful meetings and elegant affairs. Our May 19 celebration of the 2016 Leisure Lifestyle Awards was no exception.

Despite the beautiful setting, one furry guest in particular stole the show that evening: Seven, an Australian shepherd and pet actor on hand to help present United Airlines with the Best Pet-Friendly Airline award. A special thanks to Seven for bringing a bit of four-legged fun to the evening.

Among the most prestigious in the leisure travel industry, Global Traveler’s Leisure Lifestyle Awards highlight the standouts in the leisure travel and lifestyle worlds. Nominations in each category came from our elite Globility Board as well as our highly experienced magazine staff. From these nominations, our esteemed Advisory Board selected the final winners.

WINNERS’ CIRCLE

Best Historical Attractions Spain

Best Beaches Turks & Caicos

Best Adventure Travel Destination India

Best Caribbean Island U.S. Virgin Islands

Best Island in Europe Santoríni

Best Island Pacific Rim Cook Islands

Best Shopping in the World The Dubai Mall

Best Family Cruise Line Celebrity Cruises

Best Luxury Cruise Line Silversea Cruises

Best Cruise Line Suites The Haven by Norwegian

Best Adventure Cruise Line Lindblad Expeditions

Best Small-Ship Cruise Line Paul Gauguin Cruises

Best Large-Ship Cruise Line Cunard Line

Best River Cruise Line Viking River Cruises

Best Cruise Line Entertainment Royal Caribbean International

Best Cruise Line Dining Azamara Club Cruises

Best Cruise Ship Excursions Princess Cruises

Best Cruise Line Rewards Program Mariner Society by Holland America Line

Best Luxury Leisure Hotel Group in the World Meliá Hotels & Resorts

Best Hotel Chain Resorts Westin Hotels & Resorts

Best Pet-Friendly Hotel Loews Hotels & Resorts

Best Lifestyle Leisure Hotel Group in the World Vida Hotels and Resorts

Best Family Resort Chain in the World Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

Best Family Resort in North America Mohonk Mountain House

Best Family Resort in the Gulf Atlantis, The Palm

Best Hotel Restaurant Al Mahara at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah

Best Leisure Airline Hawaiian Airlines

Best Premium-Economy Class China Airlines

Best Pet-Friendly Airline United Airlines

Best Luxury Tour Company Abercrombie & Kent

Best Luxury Train The Royal Canadian Pacific

Best Car Rental for Leisure Hertz

Best Luxury Vehicle Cadillac

Favorite Luxury Fashion Brand Louis Vuitton

Favorite Luxury Watch Brand TAG Heuer

Favorite Luxury Jewelry Brand Tiffany & Co.

Special Achievement Awards

Outstanding Customized Service EVA Air’s Hello Kitty Jets

Outstanding Environmental Initiatives Airbus

Outstanding Innovations Robotic Bartender, Royal Caribbean International

Outstanding Social Responsibility Air Canada

Introducing

FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.

Explore Excursions

#globility

Insta Feed
Daily
Mar 26, 2025

The Luxury Collection Welcomes The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Madrid

The Luxury Collection officially welcomed The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Madrid into its global portfolio after its two-year restoration and refurbishment. The hotel, in Madrid’s Barrio de Las Letras, was formerly The Westin Palace, Madrid.

A Summer Sojourn Along Europe’s Rivers with AmaWaterways

This summer, elevate your vacation experience with award-winning AmaWaterways. Offering a seamless blend of unparalleled luxury, authentic cultural experiences and unrivaled service, AmaWaterways cruises are the perfect way to uncover the heart of Europe during the sunniest season with itineraries that glide along the continent’s most iconic rivers, including the Danube, the Rhine, the Seine and the Douro.

March 2025
Mar 26, 2025

Head to Jackson Hole and Revel in the Remote Possibilities

For a city girl like me, stepping into the town square of Jackson, in northwest Wyoming, felt like walking onto a slicker set of the television show Gunsmoke. Wooden sawtooth facades surround Jackson’s Town Square (a.k.a. George Washington Memorial Park). Visitors stroll the boardwalk connecting the Western-style buildings, each with a large window displaying goods, restaurants and art galleries. Iconic arches, assembled with discarded elk antlers from nearby National Elk Refuge, perch on each corner of the town square. Stagecoaches pulled by teams of horses parade other city-dwellers around the park.

Daily
Mar 26, 2025

Retreat Brand Promises “White Lotus”-Inspired Wellness Experiences Without Leaving the United States

With hit show The White Lotus captivating audiences every Sunday, fans and travelers look for travel experiences that mimic the luxury of resorts seen on screen. While everyone isn’t able to travel to Thailand, the current locale of season three, there are some closer options in the United States offering the perfect blend of indulgence, relaxation and intrigue.

Madrid: The Charm of an Authentic City

They say Madrid is in vogue for many reasons: its lifestyle, its heritage, its cuisine and all of its new attractions. And it’s true, because Madrid is on the radar of travelers looking for a cutting-edge destination that still holds onto its essence. Join us as we explore its charms.

eFlyer Reviews
Mar 26, 2025

The CURRENT Hotel Review

Like any good metropolitan area, there are a slew of hotels near Tampa International Airport. I’ve enjoyed several, but my most recent trip to The CURRENT Hotel may rank as my favorite thus far.

eFlyer Lead
Mar 26, 2025

Speculation Continues to Mount Following London’s Heathrow Airport Shutdown

On March 21, Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, shut down after a nearby substation caught fire, damaging its power supply and forcing the airport to close for 18 hours. The fire resulted in more than 200,000 passengers stranded and airlines losing millions of dollars.

Find Your Perfect Escape with Paradisus by Meliá — More Than Just All-Inclusive

Luxury travel today is about more than just beautiful accommodations — it’s about experiencing the destination. Paradisus by Meliá takes traditional all-inclusive resorts to the next level by offering indulgence with immersion, experiences and authenticity. Each resort is shaped by its location, local flavors and curated Destination Inclusive® experiences that bring you closer to the heart of the destination.

Daily
Mar 26, 2025

Swiss Camera Museum, Switzerland Debuts New Exhibit

Through June 8, Swiss Camera Museum in Vevey, Switzerland, presents Mining Photography: The Ecological Footprint of Image Production. Designed by Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg and curated by Boaz Levin and Esther Ruelfs, this thought-provoking exhibition explores how the history of photography has included — since its inception in the early 19th century — a reliance upon copper, silver and fossil fuels like bitumen and carbon once used to produce images on copper plates and salted paper prints.