Preferred Hotels & Resorts Celebrates 20 Years of GIFTTS Programme with New Legacy Leadership Award

(IN SHORT) Preferred Hotels & Resorts announced the winners of its 2026 Awards of Excellence, GIFTTS Pineapple Awards and inaugural GIFTTS Legacy Leadership Award during its global conference in Charleston. The awards recognised leading independent luxury hotels and hospitality brands for excellence in guest experience, sustainability, philanthropy and social responsibility. Wynn Resorts received the first-ever GIFTTS Legacy Leadership Award as the GIFTTS programme marked its 20th anniversary.

(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK, NY, United States, 2026-May-15 — /Travel PR News/ — Preferred Hotels & Resorts Global Conference 2026 served as the stage for Preferred Hotels & Resorts to announce the winners of its 2026 Awards of Excellence, GIFTTS Pineapple Awards and the inaugural GIFTTS Legacy Leadership Award, recognizing standout achievements in luxury hospitality, sustainability, philanthropy and guest experience across its global portfolio.

The awards ceremony took place at The Cooper, a newly opened luxury waterfront property and member of the brand’s Legend Collection, during the closing event of the company’s annual global conference attended by more than 560 hospitality industry leaders and independent hotel operators from around the world.

This year’s ceremony also marked the 20th anniversary of the GIFTTS programme — Great Initiatives for Today’s (Tomorrow’s) Society — Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ long-running corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiative focused on philanthropy, environmental stewardship and community engagement.

To commemorate the milestone, the company introduced its first-ever GIFTTS Legacy Leadership Award, which honours a hotel partner demonstrating long-term leadership and impact in areas including sustainability, philanthropy and social responsibility. The inaugural award was presented to Wynn Resorts in recognition of its sustained commitment to responsible hospitality practices and community initiatives.

Lindsey Ueberroth said the awards celebrate independent hoteliers and hospitality teams whose innovation, leadership and commitment continue shaping the future of luxury travel and hospitality worldwide.

The annual GIFTTS Pineapple Awards recognised member hotels demonstrating exceptional performance across several sustainability and social impact categories. Winners included The Alfond Inn for philanthropy, President Hotel for sustainability and Post Ranch Inn for sustainability among dual members of Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Beyond Green.

Additional honours in the overall hotel and corporate social responsibility categories were awarded to Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, Hotel Xcaret Arte and Hotel Xcaret Mexico.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts also announced the recipients of its 2026 Awards of Excellence, which recognise top-performing properties from across the brand’s portfolio of more than 625 independent hotels and resorts spanning 80 countries.

The top overall Hotel Partner of the Year award was presented to Shutters on the Beach. Regional winners included Hotel New Otani Tokyo The Main and Hotel New Otani Tokyo Executive House ZEN for Asia-Pacific, The Grand York for Europe, The Leela Palace Jaipur for India, Middle East and Africa, Entre Cielos Wine and Wellness Hotel for Latin America and Brenton Hotel for the United States and Canada.

Among the newly recognised hotel partners, Al Habtoor Palace Budapest, The Newman and Das Edelweiss Salzburg Mountain Resort received New Hotel Partner of the Year honours.

The Londoner earned the I Prefer Hotel Partner of the Year distinction, while XV Beacon received the Shiji ReviewPro Award for Online Reputation Excellence.

The conference also featured keynote presentations from hospitality analytics expert Jan Freitag and broadcaster and accessibility advocate Sophie Morgan, who spoke about inclusivity and accessibility within hospitality and travel.

About Preferred Hotels & Resorts

Preferred Hotels & Resorts is the world’s largest independent hotel brand, representing more than 625 distinctive hotels, resorts, residences, and unique hotel groups across 80 countries. Through its curated global collections, Preferred Hotels & Resorts connects discerning travelers to the singular luxury hospitality experience that meets their life and style preferences for each occasion. Every property within the portfolio maintains the high-quality standards and unparalleled service levels required by the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Integrated Quality Assurance Program. The I Prefer™ Hotel Rewards program, Preferred Residences℠, Preferred Pride℠, and Preferred Golf™ offer valuable benefits for travelers seeking a unique experience. For more information, visit PreferredHotels.com.

SOURCE: Preferred Travel Group