CourtesyAwarta Nusa Dua Resort & Villas/Boutique Hotel Awards
The world's best boutique hotels for 2018: Awarta Nusa Dua Resort & Villas in Bali has been named World's Best Boutique Hotel and World's Best Culinary Experience at the 2018 Boutique Hotel Awards. Click through the gallery to see the rest of the winners.
Courtesy Awarta Nusa Dua Resort & Villas/Boutique Hotel Awards
Awarta Nusa Dua Resort & Villas: Naomi Siawarta, director of the resort, says that by "welcoming people with genuine warmth and bespoke luxury services," the resort's aim is for "travelers from anywhere around the world coming to Bali will always return to what they can call their 'home.'"
Reethi Faru Resort/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best Beach or Coastal Hotel: Reethi Faru Resort in the Maldives only opened nine months ago but is already causing a splash.
Reethi Faru Resort/Boutique Hotel Awards
Reethi Faru Resort: This private island even has its own private timezone: The resort's "Island Time" is an hour ahead of Maldives time so that guests can enjoy an extra hour of sunlight.
Courtesy Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best City Explorer: With 77 soundproofed rooms in Lisbon's fashionable riverside district of Cais do Sodre, Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel was praised by the Boutique Hotel Awards judge for its exceptional service.
Courtesy Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel/Boutique Hotel Awards
Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel: "The hotel is filled with little touches that make you feel excited to be there," says the judge. "The smell of freshly cooked popcorn, the wide selection of sweets and snacks, and of course, the daily food and wine tastings."
Courtesy Relais & Chateaux Hotel Heritage/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best Classic Elegance Hotel: "A timeless Flemish mansion in the heart of medieval Bruges," according to the Boutique Hotel Awards, Relais & Chateaux Hotel Heritage is in a building constructed in 1869.
Courtesy Relais & Chateaux Hotel Heritage/Boutique Hotel Awards
Relais & Chateaux Hotel Heritage: From the state-of-the-art spa and fitness center hidden within the 14th-century vaulted cellar to the private sun terrace on the roof of the building, this elegant townhouse is full of surprises.
Courtesy Hotel TwentySeven/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Most Inspired Design Hotel: Eric Toren, the hotelier behind Amsterdam's Hotel TwentySeven, "has such an intimate passion about everything that happens in his hotel," says Boutique Hotel Awards director Shlomo Gabbai. "He knows every little detail in his hotel."
Courtesy Hotel TwentySeven/Boutique Hotel Awards
Hotel TwentySeven: The 16-suite hotel offers "decadent, dark glamor in the heart of Amsterdam," says the Boutique Hotel Awards, while the Rootop Stage Suite offers 360-degree views over the city.
Courtesy Drake Bay Getaway Resort/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best Honeymoon Hideaway: "You learn a lot about humanity" interacting with honeymooners, says Yens Steller, owner of Drake Bay Getaway Resort in Costa Rica.
Courtesy Drake Bay Getaway Resort/Boutique Hotel Awards
Drake Bay Getaway Resort: Located on the Osa Peninsula, home of the Corcovado National Park, at Drake Bay you can spot monkeys, sloths and tapirs in the wild.
Courtesy Hotel Grand Windsor/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best New Hotel: A multimillion-dollar restoration in 2017 transformed Auckland's Hotel Grand Windsor into a premium five-star experience.
Courtesy Hotel Grand Windsor/Boutique Hotel Awards
Hotel Grand Windsor: The 10-story art deco building was constructed in 1928 and was Auckland's first skyscraper.
Courtesy Carpe Diem Exclusive Boutique Resort/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best Relaxation Retreat: Carpe Diem Exclusive Boutique Resort, on the Greek island of Santorini, was the 2017 winner of the award for World's Best Honeymoon Hideaway.
From Akademie Street
World's Best Romantic Retreat: In South Africa, Franschhoek's Adakemie Street Boutique Hotel & Guest House offers wood-fired hot tubs and private plunge pools.
From Akademie Street
Adakemie Street Boutique Hotel & Guest House: The hotel was named World's Best Boutique Hotel in 2017.
Courtesy Clayoquot Wilderness Resort/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Most Sustainable Hotel: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is in a biosphere reserve in the Pacific Northwest of Vancouver.
Courtesy Clayoquot Wilderness Resort/Boutique Hotel Awards
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort: Depending on the time of year, bears can regularly be seen around the resort -- at a safe distance, of course.
Courtesy Green SPA Resort Stanglwirt/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best Wellness Spa: Green SPA Resort Stanglwirt is a family-run eco-friendly hotel in Going am Wilden Kaiser, Austria.
Courtesy Green SPA Resort Stanglwirt/Boutique Hotel Awards
Green SPA Resort Stanglwirt: If you're not out enjoying the panoramic views of the mountains, there's the sauna, the swimming pools, the 14 tennis courts and the ski school to explore.
Courtesy The Resort Villa/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best Private Villa: With seven luxury villas served by a staff of 80, it's almost guaranteed you'll be well cared for at The Resort Villa in Rayong, Thailand,.
Courtesy The Resort Villa/Boutique Hotel Awards
The Resort Villa: When you're not enjoying the pools, the spa or the world-class cuisine, you can always check out the home cinema or 15-meter-long aquarium.
Courtesy Hanging Gardens of Bali/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Most Stunning Views: A new category for 2018, the Hanging Gardens of Bali are a worthy first-time winner.
Courtesy Hanging Gardens of Bali/Boutique Hotel Awards
Hanging Gardens of Bali: the hotel is built with Feng Shui principles to insure stability of energy -- impressive considering it's built on a 45-degree slope.
Courtesy Blue River Resort and Hot Springs/Boutique Hotel Awards
World's Best Family Hotel: Another new category for 2018, Costa Rica's Blue River Resort and Hot Springs offers a nature adventure for all the family.
Courtesy Blue River Resort and Hot Springs/Boutique Hotel Awards
Blue River Resort and Hot Springs: Aside from the animatronic dinosaur park, hummingbird sanctuary and plenty of adventure tour options, the resort also offers spacious private cabins for ultimate relaxation.
CNN  — 

Sipping Champagne in the Chrysler from the airport. Being greeted with garlands, dining underneath frangipani trees while being served the best in Balinese, Western and Chinese cuisine, then slipping into the plunge pool with spectacular waterfall feature.

Is it any wonder Bali’s Awarta Nusa Dua Luxury Villas & Spa has just been named the best boutique hotel in the world?

In a lavish ceremony at London’s Merchant Taylors’ Hall on Thursday night, Naomi Siawarta, Awarta’s director, picked up the awards for World’s Best Boutique Hotel and World’s Best Culinary Excellence at the eighth edition of the Boutique Hotel Awards.

Winners were selected from more than 300 nominees in more than 80 countries, with each property visited personally by an experienced hotel judge for a true first-hand guest experience.

Asia was strongly represented with four winners, including the World’s Best Private Villa – The Resort Villa in Rayong, Thailand – and World’s Best Beach or Coastal Hotel – Reethi Faru Resort in Filaidhoo, Maldives. Awarta’s island neighbor, Hanging Gardens of Bali, took the gong for World’s Most Stunning Views.

Hotel Grand Windsor in Auckland, New Zealand – an art deco building elegantly refurbished in 2017 – was named World’s Best New Hotel.

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There were five European winners. Stylish city hotels Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel in Lisbon, Relais & Chateaux Hotel Heritage in Bruges and Amsterdam’s Hotel TwentySeven took the titles for World’s Best City Explorer, World’s Best Classic Elegance Hotel and World’s Most Inspired Design Hotel respectively.

Carpe Diem Exclusive Boutique Resort, on the Greek island of Santorini, won World’s Best Relaxation Retreat and Austria’s Green SPA Resort Stanglwirt was named World’s Best Wellness Spa.

Costa Rica is the place to go whether you’re starting out in married life – Drake Bay Getaway Resort won World’s Best Honeymoon Hideaway – or a few years down the line – Dos Rios’ Blue River Resort and Hot Springs was named World’s Best Family Hotel.

North America was represented by Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Tofino, Canada – winner of the award for World’s Most Sustainable Hotel – while last year’s overall winner, South Africa’s Akademie Street in Franschhoek, was this year named World’s Most Romantic Retreat.

The world’s best boutique hotels: Full awards

World’s Best Boutique Hotel: Awarta Nusa Dua Resort & Villas, Bali, Indonesia

World’s Best Beach or Coastal Hotel: Reethi Faru Resort, Filaidhoo, Maldives

World’s Best City Explorer: Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel, Lisbon, Portugal

World’s Best Classic Elegance Hotel: Relais & Chateaux Hotel Heritage, Bruges, Belgium

World’s Best Culinary Experience: Awarta Nusa Dua Resort & Villas, Bali, Indonesia

World’s Most Inspired Design Hotel: Hotel TwentySeven, Amsterdam, Netherlands

World’s Best Honeymoon Hideaway: Drake Bay Getaway Resort, Drake Bay, Costa Rica

World’s Best New Hotel: Hotel Grand Windsor, Auckland, New Zealand

World’s Best Relaxation Retreat: Carpe Diem Exclusive Boutique Resort, Santorini Greece

World’s Most Romantic Retreat: Akademie Street, Franschhoek, South Africa

World’s Most Sustainable Hotel: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Tofino, Canada

World’s Best Wellness Spa: Green SPA Resort Stanglwirt, Going am Wilden Kaiser, Austria

World’s Best Private Villa: The Resort Villa, Rayong, Thailand

World’s Most Stunning Views: Hanging Gardens of Bali, Bali, Indonesia

World’s Best Family Hotel: Blue River Resort and Hot Springs, Dos Rios, Costa Rica