2012 Boutique Hotel Awards Winners Announced

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The winners and runners-up of the 2012 Boutique Hotel Awards were announced at a glittering ceremony held in the iconic Hempel Hotel in London, UK earlier this month.The Awards dinner brought together boutique hoteliers, press, and industry insiders from all over the world – Argentina, Colombia, China, Fiji, Greece, Holland, Italy, Indonesia, Malta, Sweden, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, and the UK – who attended the event.
Guest presenters included Mr. Stephen Albert, Vice President of the WAGT, and acclaimed chef Chantelle Nicholson, now manager of the Gilbert Scott, St Pancras and Miss Maya Olesen.

We are delighted to announce this year’s Winners and Runners-up, each of which have delivered unique excellence in their own categories:

Best Beach Boutique Hotel in the World
WINNER – Hansar Samui (Koh Samui, Thailand)
RUNNER-UP – Layana Resort (Koh Lanta, Thailand)
Best Classic Boutique Hotel in the World
WINNER – Poseidonion Grand Hotel (Spetses, Greece)
RUNNER-UP – Hotel Les Ottomans (Istanbul, Turkey)
Best City Boutique Hotel in the World
WINNER – The Toren (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
RUNNER-UP – Lydmar Hotel (Stockholm, Sweden)
Best Design Boutique Hotel in the World
WINNER – Casa Colombo (Colombo, Sri Lanka)
RUNNER-UP – Sanctum Soho (London, UK)
Best Dining Boutique Hotel in the World
WINNER – The Samling Hotel (Windermere, UK)
RUNNER-UP – Xara Palace (Mdina, Malta)
HOTEL AWARDS
Best Honeymoon Boutique Hotel in the World
WINNER – Taveuni Palms Resort (Taveuni, Fiji)
RUNNER-UP – The Pavilions Phuket (Phuket, Thailand)
Best New Boutique Hotel in the World
WINNER – Entre Cielos (Mendoza, Argentina)
RUNNER-UP – The Ampersand (London, UK)

Each of our participating hotels was also considered for our highest honour, the Best Overall Boutique Hotel in the World. This year, the Award was presented to the Borgo Santo Pietro, for offering something really quite special in all categories.

Best Overall Boutique Hotel in the World
WINNER – Borgo Santo Pietro (Tuscany, Italy)

The 2013 Boutique Hotel Awards are now open! We are pleased to announce the launch of two additional Awards categories: Best Eco Hotel and Best Spa Hotel. To nominate your favourite boutique hotels, find out about participating in the Awards, and see the full hotel listings go to: www.boutiquehotelawards.com

Daniel Fountain / 09.11.2012

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

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Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher atSPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.
Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.