MR&H Top Mediterranean Resorts 2019

Submit your vote today! Voting closes Friday 27 September 17:00.

The annual Top Mediterranean Resort awards were created to recognise outstanding mixed-use resorts and developments across the region. This year, our panel of expert judges has shortlisted 7 best in class resorts (3 currently in operation; 4 currently in development) that exemplify dedication, innovation and expertise in tourism and hospitality.

Two winners will be announced at 13.00 on Thursday 31 October during the MR&H conference programme. If you still need to register for the conference, you can do so here.

Question Title

* 1. Name

Question Title

* 2. Email

Question Title

* 3. Company

Question Title

* 4. Please select your choice for Top Mediterranean Resort (already in operation).

El Gouna
Egypt

On its 30th anniversary, El Gouna has evolved to become a self-sufficient, fully integrated resort town stretching across 10 km of pristine shoreline on the beautiful Red Sea coast resides El Gouna, Orascom Development’s flagship town and the Group’s “Life as it should be” development benchmark. El Gouna offers its guests and residents an unparalleled lifestyle attracting a growing multinational community of around 15,000 residents. Year-round sunshine, shimmering lagoons, turquoise beaches, and being a short flight from Europe make El Gouna the ultimate paradise escape. The town’s luxury facilities include a landing strip, 3 international standard marinas with total capacity of 380 berths, a world-class international standard hospital providing 24 hour emergency care, a university campus, 3 schools, 2 championship golf course of 27-holes collectively, 17 hotels, 5 kitesurfing centers, 9 diving centers, 11 gyms and 7 spas. Being Egypt’s most environmentally friendly destination with around 90% reliance on locally desalinated and underground water and 100% reliance on recycled water for irrigation, El Gouna is honoured to be the powerhouse behind the Green Star Hotel Initiative that has since swept over the country.

Maxx Royal Kemer
Turkey

With its stunning architecture that blends harmoniously with Kemer’s gorgeous nature, Maxx Royal Kemer Resort opens the doors to a unique and exclusive world. Idyllically situated on two magnificent bays surrounded by pine trees and a 400-meter private beach, Maxx Royal Kemer Resort promises an elegant and distinguished holiday experience. Maxx Royal Kemer Resort promises a bespoke holiday with elegant accommodation options from stylish suites to villas offering special services, limitless choices for dining and wining, colourful activities and adventures for children and breathtaking entertainment performances delivered by record-breaking athletes, award-winning dancers and acrobats. At Maxx Royal, you will savour delicious creations from renowned chefs delicately prepared with the finest ingredients available and presented with Maxx Royal’s “Maxx Inclusive” concept. Whether you’re in the mood for Asian fusion or Italian, fish or meat, vegetarian or Turkish, anything you wish to eat will be brought to your table. A sports centre with expert instructors, well-equipped tennis courts, and water sports supplying adrenalin peaks; detox programs, rejuvenation therapies, special massages and treatments at Maxx Royal Kemer Aven Royal Spa… All this and much more are waiting to be discovered by Maxx Royal guests. Transform the life of your dreams into reality in this unique world.

Wyndham Grand Crete Mirabello Bay
Crete, Greece

Set in magnificent settings, overlooking the stunning Mirabello Bay, Wyndham Grand Crete Mirabello Bay is a new upper-upscale seaside resort and meetings destination located just minutes from the picturesque town of Agios Nikolaos in the Elounda region, one of Crete’s top destinations. Featuring two pristine beaches and a private marina, this sprawling property opened in April this year, marking Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ first hotel on a Greek Island. Managed by Wyndham’s trusted partner Zeus International, the hotel was converted from the well-known Mirabello Beach & Village Resort, following an extensive renovation project, which turned the expansive property into a stylish seaside destination with top-notch facilities. It boasts 311 stylish rooms, a versatile event space - 12 meeting rooms for 1,000+ delegates - five restaurants and five bars, swimming pools, a spa, a modern fitness centre, as well as a wide array of sports facilities including tennis and basketball courts, beach volleyball a kids club, and a variety of water sports for guests of all ages. All of this is spread across two of the region’s most popular beaches. The hotel’s beach was recently awarded the Blue Flag eco-label certification, for its cleanliness and prime infrastructure. The hotel has also implemented various eco-friendly initiatives, including an antipollution system for its private marina, a linen reuse programme, and recycling. It also holds quality and food safety certifications, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 22000.

Question Title

* 5. Please select your choice for the Top Resort in the Mediterranean (currently in development, not yet in operation).

City of Dreams Mediterranean
Cyrus, Greece

The First Integrated Casino Resort in Cyprus – City of Dreams Mediterranean – A partnership of Melco Group and Cyprus Phassouri (Zakaki) Limited, City of Dreams Mediterranean (“COD Mediterranean”) is set to open in 2021 as Cyprus’ first integrated casino resort (“ICR”). A world-leading development and landmark for the country and the wider region, the aim is to build and enhance Cyprus’ position as an internationally-recognized conference and travel destination. Centred around a 500 room, five-star hotel, the resort will incorporate world-class restaurants, luxury retail, gaming facilities and 9,600m² of industry-leading MICE facilities.

The project includes the temporary Cyprus Casinos Limassol (“C2 Limassol”), opened in June 2018, and four satellite casinos including C2 Nicosia, C2 Larnaca, C2 Ayia Napa and C2 Paphos.

COD Mediterranean is set to attract 300,000 tourists per year from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Significant employment opportunities will be generated; with 4,000 in the construction phase and approximately 2,400 permanent jobs once the resort is fully operational. After the second year of operation, it is expected to contribute to 4% of Cyprus’ annual GDP. Sustainability is a key focus area for Melco’s global operations; hence the property will carefully integrate with the surrounding ecology and natural environment.

Ikos Andalusia
Spain

The new IKOS ANDALUSIA, opening in May 2020, following a total redevelopment investment of EUR 150 million aims to become Spain’s leading luxury all-inclusive resort, marked as the greatest investment that the Costa del Sol has seen in the latest years and one of the most important in Spain in 2018.

Set on a unique beachfront site in the Marbella-Estepona area and a 45 minute drive from Malaga Airport, IKOS ANDALUSIA will feature 411 rooms and suites - spread in 7 blocks circling around the central part of the resort, 8 elegant restaurants, leading sports facilities, a theater, 4.000m2 of indoor and outdoor pools, an exclusive deluxe area, 14.000m2 of sandy beach and all five star facilities and services of the award-winning Ikos Resorts brand.

Close to the cosmopolitan glamour of Marbella, the exclusive Ikos Andalusia brings a new world of luxury and Mediterranean hospitality to Spain’s dazzling southern shores. Offering miles of golden sand, bathed by cooling waters, this peerless beachfront setting on the tranquil shores of Playa de Guadalmansa offers more than 17 acres of landscaped gardens and leisure facilities. With extraordinary inclusions such as Michelin-starred menus, 24-hour Room Service, 300 wine labels and branded spirits, a MINI car available for a full day, Dine Out service at local restaurants, complimentary Museum tickets and so much more at no extra cost, Ikos Andalusia is set to exceed the expectations of every guest.

Ikos Andalusia will reflect Ikos Resorts’ multi award winning concept, as the brand’s fifth resort and the first located in the Iberian Peninsula. Ikos Resorts currently has four other resorts: Ikos Dassia (Corfu island), Ikos Aria (opened in May 2019 on the island of Kos), Ikos Oceania and Ikos Olivia. These last two, located in the Halkidiki Peninsula, have been voted as the best luxury all-inclusive hotels in the world according to Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice Awards in 2019, for the third consecutive year.

One & Only Kea Island
Greece

The One&Only Kea Island is situated in a 60-hectare beachfront site on the west side of Kea island of the Cyclades. Kea is the closest Cycladic island to Athens and is accessible by ferry or speed boat from Lavrio Harbour.

This ultimate ultra-luxury lifestyle experience will include 75 resort villas, as well as a limited number of One&Only Private Homes available for purchase. Inspired by the azure ocean waters, the One & Only Kea Island resort, is an ode to contemporary Greek elegance, celebrating the incredible natural elements of Greece and the Cyclades.

With an emphasis on privacy, the resort will provide the ultimate hideaway, with a variety of accommodation, as well as secluded residential villas, ideal for couples or large families. The stylish resort will also be home to an indulgent destination spa, with overall wellness at its core. The resort will also become a culinary destination for the intimate island, offering 3 restaurants and two bars, each defined by their own distinct ethos, energy, design and flavour. New curated experiences will be offered to discover the best of both land and sea. The resort will offer innovative programming for families with children whilst carefully preserving space for adults only as well. The iconic beach club, where guests and residents alike will linger at the water’s edge for hours, will complement the overall lifestyle offering at this unique resort.

W Algarve
Portugal

The new W Algarve will bring the W brand’s passion for fashion, music, design and fuel – that get-up-and-go approach that W has made its own – to this sun-kissed beachfront setting. The project commenced in 2016 and is projected to open in the summer of 2020, with a total investment of €130M.

AB Concept has been appointed as interior designers on the project. They have taken inspiration from historical, cultural and contextual insights of the Algarve and of Portugal. The vibrant interiors interpret local landscapes and the region’s rich culture. Colours, shapes and materials reflect the influence of the nearby Atlantic.

Fused with this natural look and feel is the W brand’s unique, high-energy style. Design-wise, this translates to a series of surprises. Residents and guests are invited to let different design narratives unfold around them, including pathways that lead to new spaces and prompt different moods and asymmetrical forms that mimic the nearby cliffs and various visual expressions of Portuguese culture. It is the Algarve – reinterpreted by W.

Adding substance to the sparkly, the resort has been designed to be sustainable. Rooftops will have solar panels, the private pools will be heated using the return heat of the air conditioning system and the resort will offer an organic vegetable garden, where herbs and vegetables will be grown for the hotel’s restaurants.