Luxury travel network Virtuoso names their best hotels of 2017
A luxury villa set in the heart of Italy's black truffle country, Norcia, has been named the Hotel of the Year by an international luxury travel network for affluent globetrotters.
Palazzo Seneca, in Norcia, Umbria, was the big winner of the night at Virtuoso's 11th annual Best of the Best awards held in Las Vegas this week, where industry leaders and travel professionals gathered for the 29th edition of Virtuoso Travel Week.
The winners were based on the votes of 800 travel agency partners and 16,000 travel advisors, chosen from within their own portfolio of 1,200 hotels, resorts, villas and private island retreats in 100 countries.
While the Palazzo Seneca hotel boasts a history that can be traced back to the 16th century, the old stone facade belies the clean, contemporary décor that greets guests inside.
Rooms are decorated with four-poster beds, handsome, studded leather chairs, and elegantly carved wood furnishings made by local artisans.
The palazzo is also a Relais & Chateaux member, an exclusive club of independent properties that includes historic landmarks, castles and manor houses located in bucolic settings.
Other big winners of the evening include the Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris, which walked away with the title of best bar, and the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, which snagged the title of Best Virtuoso Newcomer.
Here are the big winners:
Hotel of the Year: Palazzo Seneca, Norcia, Italy
Best Achievement in Design: Six Senses Douro Valley, Lamego, Portugal
Best Dining Experience: La Terrazza - Hotel Eden Rome, Rome, Italy
Best Bar: Bar Hemingway - Ritz Paris, Paris, France
Best Family Program: The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Naples, Florida, US
Best Wellness Program: Canyon Ranch, Tucson, Arizona, US
Best Virtuoso Experience: Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Best Virtuoso Newcomer: Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, New York, New York, US
