This year, for the first time, we asked readers of Ultratravel Middle East to nominate their favourites in the world of luxury tourism, from hotels and airlines to beach clubs, spas, and golf resorts. Here are your choices for 2015.
Best Business Class
Emirates
Runners up
British Airways
Etihad
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Best First Class
Etihad
Runners up
British Airways
Emirates
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Best Airline Lounge
Emirates First Class at Dubai International Airport
Runners up
Cathay Pacific Wing at Hong Kong International Airport
Etihad First Class at Abu Dhabi Airport
Qatar Airways First Class at Doha International Airport
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow Airport
Best Airport in the World
Dubai International Airport
Runners up
Changi Airport, Singapore
Hong Kong International Airport
Incheon International Airport, Seoul
Heathrow Airport, London
Best Hotel in Europe
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
Runners up
Corinthia Hotel London
Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris
Shangri-La at The Shard London
Shangri-La Paris
Best Hotel in the UAE
Burj Al Arab
Runners up
Emirates Palace
One&Only Royal Mirage
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara
St Regis Abu Dhabi & St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort
Best Hotel in the Americas
The St Regis Hotel New York
Runners up
Four Seasons Hotel New York
The Langham Chicago
The Plaza
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
Best Hotel in Asia/Australia
Shangri-La Sydney
Runners up
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
The Peninsula Hong Kong
One&Only Hayman Island
Best Hotel in the Middle East
Burj Al Arab
Runners up
Emirates Palace
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara
The St Regis Abu Dhabi
Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi
Best Hotel in Africa/Indian Ocean
One&Only Reethi Rah
Runners up
Cape Grace Hotel & Spa, Cape Town
One&Only Cape Town
PER AQUUM Huvafen Fushi
Shangri-La Le Touessrok Resort and Spa, Mauritius
Best Hotel in the World
Burj Al Arab
Runners up
Emirates Palace
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
The Oberoi Amarvilas
The Peninsula Hong Kong
Best Luxury Hotel Group
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Runners up
Jumeirah
One&Only Resorts
St Regis
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Best Luxury Tour Operator/Travel Agent
Abercrombie & Kent
Runners up
Dnata
Emirates Holidays
Scott Dunn
Thomas Cook
Best Luxury Cruise Line
Crystal Cruises
Runners up
Cunard
Regent Seven Seas
Royal Caribbean
Silversea
Best Country for a Holiday
Thailand
Runners up
Australia
The Maldives
South Africa
USA
Best Hotel in Abu Dhabi
Emirates Palace
Runners up
Jumeirah Etihad Towers
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara
St Regis Abu Dhabi & St Regis Saadiyat Resort
Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi
Best Hotel in Dubai
Burj Al Arab
Runners up
The Address Downtown Dubai
Al Qasr Madinat Jumeirah
One&Only Royal Mirage
One&Only The Palm
Best Spa in the UAE
Talise Ottoman Spa at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
Runners up
ShuiQi Spa & Fitness at Atlantis The Palm
Emirates Palace Spa
Lime Spa at PER AQUUM Desert Palm Retreat
One&Only Private Spa, The Palm
Best Golf Course/Resort in the UAE
Emirates Golf Club, Dubai
Runners up
Jumeirah Golf Estates
The Address Montgomerie
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Best Beach Club in the UAE
Saadiyat Beach Club
Runners up
Barasti Beach at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi
Nasimi Beach at Atlantis
Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Nation Riviera Beach Club at The St Regis Abu Dhabi
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
