Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates bags two trophies at Prestigious World Travel Awards 2011

Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates took home the coveted award for the Middle East’s Leading Leisure Hotel at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2011, along with the gong for Dubai's Leading Lifestyle Hotel, proving its claim as the undisputed leisure hospitality hotel in its market.

The WTA Middle East Gala Ceremony, which took place yesterday in Dubai, saw the landmark Dubai hotel once again cement its reputation as the leader in the highly competitive category and as a hotel that continues to set and meet very high guest expectations.

Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates was voted the best Middle East Leisure Hotel in a category that saw ten properties nominated – four from the UAE, two from Kuwait, and one each from Oman, Lebanon, Jordan and Qatar. This is the third time the hotel has taken home this award, having been named the Middle East’s Leading Leisure Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2008 and 2010 respectively.

In addition, the hotel also walked away bearing the title of Dubai's Leading Lifestyle Hotel, in a category featuring a total of six property nominations from highly respected international and home-grown hospitality brands.

“Winning these two awards this year is particularly gratifying given that Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates is celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2011," says Alejandro Bernabé, the hotel's General Manager. "The fact that the hotel retains its distinction as the leading leisure and lifestyle property not just in the city but in the entire region is testimony to the strength of its offering, which continues to eclipse that of many newer hotels entering the market each year," adds Bernabé. 

Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates' is a one-of-a-kind destination by virtue of it being attached to Ski Dubai − the Middle East's only indoor ski resort − as well as one of the city's leading malls, Mall of the Emirates − in itself a top-quality entertainment venue, with shopping, dining, cinema and gaming offerings that appeal to the whole family. Additionally, the hotel's prominent position along the city's arterial Sheikh Zayed Road, in close proximity to the beach and golfing attractions that the city is famed for, puts it in a unique position to offer guests easy access to a variety of leisure options. The new metro link further opens up connectivity to every part of Dubai.

"These two awards are particularly commendable given that hotels today need to compete on more than just the traditional criteria of accommodation and dining excellence. Leisure travellers today not only value luxury and comfort, but they desire easy mobility, shopping and entertainment opportunities that appeal to the whole family. In this respect Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates is delighted to receive two awards that prove our guests value our recreational offering and consider us one of the best places to stay to enjoy the best Dubai has to offer," concludes Bernabé.

Hailed as the "Oscars" of the travel and tourism industry by The Wall Street Journal, the prestigious World Travel Awards serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. This year, a phenomenal 213,000 industry professionals participated in the voting process, which is scrupulously monitored and independently audited.