WHY IT RATES: TUI Group, Expedia and Air Canada Vacation were among the companies that received awards. —Codie Liermann, Associate Editor

BlueBay Hotels presented the awards at the BlueBay Travel Awards last month. The event, now in its sixth year, has become an event of reference as a precursor to FITUR. The award ceremony was held at the Hotel Miguel Angel by BlueBay, with national and international guests from the social, tourism, business and political arena in attendance.

Jamal Satli Iglesias, Chairman of BlueBay Hotels, said, “The presentation of these awards aims to recognise the work and professionalism of these companies throughout the year, together with their importance for the travel sector and our company. BlueBay Hotels wouldn’t be what it is today without each and every one of the people and companies that have placed their trust in us.”

Ramón Hernández, CEO of BlueBay Hotels, also wanted to highlight that “At BlueBay Hotels we’re incredibly proud to celebrate our gala dinner for another year in recognition of our business partners’ trust and loyalty and to thank all our employees, without whom none of this would be possible. 2020 is shaping up to be an exciting year for our group, and we’ll continue to remodel and improve our products, expand destinations and reinforce our firm commitment to quality and our customers.”

Jamal Satli Iglesias presented the evening's special award to Steve Heapy. In the category of Outstanding Tourism Personality 2019, the CEO of Jet2holidays received the award for his successful track record at the helm of the leading British tour operator, commitment to environmental sustainability, impeccable professionalism and his firm support towards Spanish destinations.

Award-Winning Companies

Ten companies won awards in different categories:

—TUI in the category of Best Performance Europe 2019, for its unstoppable growth, ability to rise above the competition and adapting to new market scenarios.

—EXPEDIA in the category of Best B2C Partner, for its constant innovation, leadership in the world of travel, the trust generated in the user and the quality of its offer.

—Air Canada Vacation in the category of Best Performance Caribbean 2019, for its professionalism, continued improvements in service and excellent customer care.

—Itaka in the category of Lifetime Achievement Award, for its constant support, implementing new technologies and emphasis on customer service.

—Wamos Group in the category of Leading Air Travel Provider, for its performance, integrity and commitment to society, overcoming constant market challenges and providing excellent service quality to passengers.

—Sidetours in the category of Best Inbound Travel Agency 2019, for its leadership in the Spanish tourism industry, its global services in tourism and its team of professionals.

—Anex Tour in the category of Best Outbound Travel Agency 2019, for its track record, experience and outstanding growth over the past year.

—Roiback in the category Best Provider of Hotel Booking Engine, for its cutting-edge technology, user-friendliness and functionality.

—Jet2Holidays in the category of Best Travel Service 2019, for its constant growth in the number of users, its capacity to welcome new destinations without neglecting others and its commitment to quality and excellence.

—Hotelbeds in the category of best Wholesale Distribution Platform 2019, for its constant efforts to find innovative ways to improve the online experience, its dedication to its partners and its impeccable service.

BlueBay Hotels at FITUR 2020

For the sixth consecutive year, the BlueBay Travel Awards gala dinner was held on the night before the start of the leading International Tourism Fair in Spain, once again in Hall 10 Stand 10D12.

BlueBay Hotels has invested in renovations and improvements in different hotels in recent years to improve the quality of its service and offer its customers modern and stylish spaces to accompany them during their experience in destinations where the group operates.

One of the most extensive renovation works was carried out at Bellevue club Mallorca***, in Spain, where it redefined the gastronomic concept with the opening of new theme restaurants and renovated the leisure area, and BlueBay Grand Esmeralda***** in the Riviera Maya in Mexico also modernised the swimming pools and common areas.

During 2020-2021, BlueBay Hotels expects to finalise the complete renovation of these two emblematic hotels for the group in strategic destinations.

In terms of expansion, the group has formed a strategic alliance with the Aviatur Group & Avia Hotels, one of the leading tourism groups in Colombia. Thanks to this collaboration agreement, both groups will commercialise and operate hotels in Colombia under the BlueBay Hotels brand name, and Aviatur’s network of agencies will distribute the chain’s hotels for the Colombian market worldwide.

SOURCE: BlueBay Hotels press release.