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(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.
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
