Daily Mail: Daily Mail

In the Oscars of the travel and tourism business, the World Travel Awards, The Oberoi Gurgaon has been named the world's leading luxury hotel for 2011.

The awards, given out at a glittering ceremony at the Katara Arts Village in Doha last week, also recognised India as the world's leading destination, Dubai's Burj al-Arab as the leading all-suite hotel, Etihad Airways as the leading airline (for the third year in succession), and Changi as the leading international airport.

The Oberoi Gurgaon is the first Indian luxury hotel to make it to the prestigious list based on votes cast by industry professionals around the world.

India, meanwhile, staved off the challenge of London, New York, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney to win the world's leading destination award.

'This is an honour for the country and assures a world-class experience to our top-end clientele,' Kapil Chopra, Executive Vice President, The Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, said.

'It'll help us position the hotel better when we compete against the leading lux ury hotels of the world.'

Chopra added that awards such as these will encourage more international corporate brands to have their board meetings at The Oberoi Gurgaon.
The Oberoi Gurgaon is the first Indian luxury hotel to make it to the prestigious list based on votes cast by industry professionals around the world

The Oberoi Gurgaon is the first Indian luxury hotel to make it to the prestigious list based on votes cast by industry professionals around the world

Already, DuPont and Discovery Channel have signed up with the hotel for their annual board meetings.

The only other Indian hotel that came close to winning an award was The Park Hyderabad, which lost out in the prestigious race for the world's best new hotel to Abu Dhabi's Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.

For The Oberoi Gurgaon, the honour comes close on the heels of Virtuoso, the conglomerate of the world's most elite travel agents, naming it as one of the five hotels to watch out for.

The chic hotel may be the new kid on the block, but it's already looking like an old hand in the international awards circuit.