The Mriya Resort & Spa, a five star hotel complex in Crimea, was named the best leisure resort of the year by the World Travel Awards on Dec. 10.
Russia’s cultural capital was also praised at the ceremony: St.Petersburg won both the “World’s Leading City Destination 2017” and “World’s Leading Cultural City Destination 2017” accolades, while national airline Aeroflot took home the “World’s Leading Airline Brand 2017.” It was a good night for Russia.
Mriya Resort & Spa has previously won a number of European awards, but never an international award until now. This year it surpassed Dubai’s Atlantis The Palm, Dominica’s Casa de Campo, Italy’s Forte Village Resort, and Egypt’s Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh Resort.
Mriya Resort & Spa
An interesting note: The World Travel Awards website doesn’t specify which country the Mriya represents, unlike the other hotels.
Opened in 2014, the Mriya Resort & Spa continues to impress with its unique design. Famous British architect Sir Norman Foster - responsible for London’s Wembley Stadium and Millennium Bridge, and New York’s Hearst Tower - envisaged the project. It’s territory encompasses 27 hectares and includes several restaurants, villas, a medical and fitness center, and of course a beach.
Mriya Resort & Spa
Its construction cost its owner Sberbank (Russia’s state bank) around $300 million. According to the resort’s director Grant Babasyan, more than 100,000 guests stayed there in the last three years.