Virtuoso® Names InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa a 2013 Best of the Best Hotel Award Nominee

LOS ANGELES, July 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- It's a fact: The travel industry is replete with options. Luckily, those seeking the best hotels in the world need look no further than Virtuoso^®, the luxury travel agency network renowned for creating exceptional experiences, and itsseventh annual Best of the Best Hotel Awards. As Virtuoso announces its select group of nominees this year, InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa finds itself recognized with a nod for Most Innovative Guest Experience.  With its nomination, InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa joins an elite group of 50 world's-best hotels out of Virtuoso's extensive collection of more than 983 hotels, resorts, villas and private-island retreats in 100 countries. 

"Virtuoso has been curating a portfolio of the most desired properties worldwide for more than 20 years," commented Albert Herrera, senior vice president of Global Product Partnerships. "The Best of the Best Hotel Awards honor the most exceptional properties within this group, and it is our pleasure to recognize InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa as a nominee for Most Innovative Guest Experience."

While the editors of VIRTUOSO LIFE magazine, the network's award-winning publication, combed through hundreds of options to determine the nominees, it is Virtuoso's travel advisors who ultimately decide the winners in each category.

"We're honored to be nominated for Most Innovative Guest Experience," said Thierry Brovelli, General Manager, InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa. "We are always looking for new ways to impress our guests and thank Virtuoso for recognizing us among the leaders in the hotel industry. This is a nomination that our whole team can take pride in."

Winners will be revealed on Wednesday, August 14, at the Hotels & Resorts dinner held during the 25^th annual Virtuoso Travel Week conference. Taking place at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, August 11-16, Virtuoso Travel Week brings together thousands of Virtuoso's member travel advisors and the world's best travel providers to participate in the industry's preeminent networking event. VIRTUOSO LIFE magazine will feature the Best of the Best winners in its September/October 2013 issue.  For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com.

InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa joins four other luxe properties in the following category:

Most Innovative Guest Experience – Recognizes a hotel that continually raises the bar by featuring clever and meaningful guest experiences that move the industry forward.

• Anantara Elephant Camp and Resort – Chiang Saen, Thailand
• Banjaar Tola by Taj Safaris – Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India
• Hotel Cipriani by Orient-Express – Venice, Italy
• The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii – Kohala Coast, Hawaii, United States
• InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa – Moorea, French Polynesia

About InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa
Owned and operated by Pacific Beachcomber S.C., French Polynesia's leading luxury hotel and cruise operator, the InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa is situated on one of the most spectacular tropical islands of French Polynesia, providing a magnificent setting for a memorable South Seas vacation.  The resort's 17 acres of lush gardens feature beautiful trees and flowers, more than 200 different plant species, and 144 lanai rooms and garden, beach, and overwater bungalows. The resort offers three restaurants and two bars, two infinity pools, a gym, tennis courts, and the award-winning Helene Spa which features a wide range of signature spa services. The resort's Moorea Dolphin Center offers interactive programs with bottlenose dolphins, educating both tourists and locals, and is also home to the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center. Sanctioned by the Ministry of the Environment, this facility serves as a hospital to ill and injured turtles from all the islands in French Polynesia. Committed to sustainable development and environmental preservation, the resort is also EarthCheck Silver certified—an internationally recognized environmental management program that recognizes significant commitment towards achieving environmental and social sustainability.

For information and reservations for InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa, call 1-888 IC HOTELS (1-888-424-6835) or visit www.tahiti.intercontinental.com.

About Virtuoso:
Virtuoso^® is the industry's leading luxury travel network.  This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 340 agencies with more than 7,200 elite travel specialists in 20 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,700 of the world's best travel providers and premier destinations.  The network's member agencies generate over $9.6 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment.  Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network's affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com. To view Virtuoso's latest videos, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/VirtuosoTraveler.   

Media Contacts: 
Vanessa Bloy
InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia
T: 425-440-6255/E: vbloy@pgcruises.com

Misty Ewing, CTA
Virtuoso – Director, Public Relations
Phone: 202.553.8817
E-mail: mewing@virtuoso.com

SOURCE InterContinental Resorts French Polynesia