HOTELIERS Elisabeth and Heinz Simonitsch were eager to share their latest big news with SO. It wasn’t difficult to fathom why when we discovered that Austria’s GrandHotel Lienz was named Europe’s Leading Wellness Hotel.

Great news indeed for the five-star property which, since opening in 2009, has set a precedent in wellness tourism by pairing conventional medicine with the latest medical advances.

GrandHotel Lienz overcame stiff competition from properties such as Adler Thermae Spa & Wellness Resort, Bagni di Pisa Natural Spa Resort, La Reserve de Beaulieu & Spa, and Richmond Nua Wellness Spa to cop the prestigious award.

The industry’s elite — including CEOs of leading travel companies, government ministers, tourist board chiefs — attended the glittering World Travel Awards gala ceremony, which was hosted at Cornelia Diamond Golf Resort, Antalya, Turkey. The raft of media covering the ceremony included Bloomberg TV, Hello, Hurriyet, CNBC and CNN Turk.

Graham E Cooke, president & founder of the World Travel Awards, had this to say: “Since opening just two years ago, GrandHotel Lienz has established itself as a market leader by combining traditional techniques with the latest scientific medicine in a majestic mountain setting. This relentless quest to push the boundaries of wellness exemplifies the spirit of the World Travel Awards.”

Professor Heinz Simonitsch sees the top award as “The Oscars of the Travel Industry” as a “tremendous honour. The award acknowledges our tireless efforts to provide the highest level of service to our guests whilst constantly striving to surpass our own achievements. I am honoured to collect the award on behalf of the entire team”.

The World Travel Awards is acknowledged across the globe as the ultimate travel accolade and celebrates those brands that are pushing the boundaries of industry excellence.

More than 500 organisations across Europe entered the competition — spanning more than 125 categories — for the most influential accolade in travel.

GrandHotel Lienz and other European winners from the evening will now progress to the World Travel Awards 2011 Grand Final, which takes place in Doha, Qatar on November 29.

SO shares a peek…