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The award ceremony was held in London on January 18.

The International Hotel Awards evolved from the International Property Awards, established 18 years ago, its award winners' logo is recognized as a symbol of excellence throughout the global industry, writes LETA.

A specific awards' program for the hospitality industry was launched due to an increasing number of entries within its commercial categories.

In addition to categories for different sized and specifically targeted hotels, the International Hotel Awards includes sections for the best hotel architecture, interior design, marketing and website covering the entire range of hotel disciplines. Entries are first judged at country level before the top scoring winners go forward to be re-judged internationally.

A judging panel of 20 high-end professionals established the ranking of all participants following a list of 39 questions/criteria including the hotel service and facilities offered to customers, the awards, the location, the environmental commitment, the interior-outdoor design and decoration, the hotel's marketing and website. This year's judges included Rebecca Johnson (Bloomberg TV – Hotel Section), James Bacon (UK account manager of Google), Mike McNamara (RBS: Royal Bank of Scotland), and David Dalby (RICS: Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors).