International Restaurant & Hotel Awards Announces 2008 IRHA Award Honorees

Beverly Hills, CA | The 2008 International Restaurant and Hotel Awards will honor Grand Award Recipients and Irha Award Honorees on November 25th, 2008 at the home of the Golden Globes, the Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California. The star-studded gala ceremony will be hosted by Mark DeCarlo of the Travel Channel and will include a Special Spotlight on New Orleans along with Grand Award presentations.

Honorees were nominated by the distinguished IRHA Advisory Board. Less than seven industry leaders were nominated for each Irha Award Honoree title including Lifetime Achievement, Visionary of the Year, Travel/Dining Publication of the Year, Designer of the Year & Humanitarian of the Year. The Advisory Board & Jury completed the voting process on April 2nd, 2008. For more information on the Irha Award Honoree titles click Here.

2008 Irha Award Honorees

(Click the honoree name for a biography & image. Click Here for more information on the Irha Award Honoree Program. Press can register at the IRHA press site to access the IRHA electronic media kit and image gallery.)

Tickets, Premier & VIP Tables can be reserved online

2008 irha Award Honorees | TITLES & BIOS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

The International Restaurant and Hotel Awards recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in the travel and dining industry. This award highlights the lifetime effort of successfully achieving the IRHA mission of promoting cultural exploration and unforgettable travel and dining as a leader in the industry.

Nina and Tim Zagat: Known as the wildly popular “burgundy bible,” Zagat Survey is the world’s most trusted source for information about where to eat, drink, stay and play around the globe, and as such has become a symbol of quality. Zagat Survey rates and reviews airlines, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, music, golf, resorts, shopping, spas, and a range of other entertainment categories in 104 countries and has been lauded as the “most up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable guides ever published” and as “a necessity second only to a valid credit card.” Zagat content is available in print, on the Web, on the Palm and Windows Mobile operating systems, on BlackBerry, on mobile phones, and on TV.

VISIONARY OF THE YEAR

The Visionary of the Year Award is a special award honoring an individual whose combination of ingenuity, tireless efforts and significant accomplishments clearly illustrate the power of vision and values in the travel and dining industry. This individual exudes direction, leadership and strength in the hospitality industry, which speaks through their exemplary example as an industry leader.

Costas Christ has spent more than two decades working to transform travel and tourism – the world’s largest industry - into becoming a catalyst for safeguarding the cultural and natural heritage of our planet. In his position as Global Travel Editor and columnist for National Geographic Adventure magazine, Costas brings awareness to travelers on how they can have the vacation of a lifetime and also help protect the Earth. An internationally recognized expert on sustainable tourism, he serves as the Chairman of Judges for the World Travel and Tourism Council - Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, which recognizes leading models of environmentally and socially responsible travel. He is one of the pioneers of ecotourism and was a founding member and former Chairman of the Board of The International Ecotourism Society.

TRAVEL/DINING PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR

In addition to depth of content, creative presentation and a plethora of entertaining information, the overall layout of the Travel/Dining Publication of the Year appeals to all types of travelers looking to discover new tastes and sites. The Editor and Publisher presented with this award receive the coveted title as the media outlet most valuable to all restaurants and hotels, as well as travel and dining enthusiasts all over as a must-read for planning trips and dining excursions.

Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, Editor Erik Torkell: Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine is published monthly except for combined issues in December/January and July/August by Newsweek Budget Travel. BudgetTravel.com is the website for Budget Travel magazine. In June 2005, Budget Travel launched its own website in partnership with Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive; receiving approximately 1.8 million unique page views per month.

Erik Torkells is Editor in Chief of Budget Travel magazine and BudgetTravel.com, as well as a new magazine, Girlfriend Getaways. He’s the coauthor of three Budget Travel books: The Smart Traveler's Passport: 399 Tips from Seasoned Travelers; Secret Hotels: Extraordinary Values in the World's Most Stunning Destinations and A Stingray Bit My Nipple! True Stories from Real Travelers. He has appeared on Today, the Early Show, CNN, CNBC, Fox News and Fox Business, and he has also been published in The New York Times and USA Today.

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Designer of the Year is awarded to a designer who has demonstrated the most innovative and challenging use of concept and design in a way that exceeds the normal boundaries of originality and creativity. Whether cutting edge and detailed or subtle and sleek, this designer successfully delivers an overall extraordinary user experience. IRHA celebrates this designer for the most compelling incorporation of balance and dramatic effect to create unique unforgettable decor.

Philippe Starck continues to shake up the traditions and culture of major cities around the world, for example with the Felix restaurant in Hong Kong, the Teatron in Mexico and more recently the Lan and the Volar Club in China, and the Bon in Moscow.

End 2006 saw the opening of the Katsuya in Los Angeles, the first in a series of Japanese restaurants which the American press has already singled out as "one of the most exciting restaurants of the past ten years." Whether the Hudson in New York or the Clift in San Francisco, his hotels have brought a new dimension to the American landscape. Over in Buenos Aires, the Faena Hotel was named Best New Hotel 2005.

In London, the Jean-Paul Gaultier Gallery meets the Sanderson and St Martin’s Lane hotels. In Paris, he transformed what was once Marie-Laure de Noailles' private mansion into a dazzling crystal museum and a romantic, luxurious, audacious setting for Baccarat. More recently he input his timeless and creative vision to the public areas of one of the Parisian Palace Hotel, Le Meurice.

HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR - SPOTLIGHT ON NEW ORLEANS

We all remember the devastation that Hurricane Katrina left in its wake, but since that time something extraordinary has happened in New Orleans. People from all over the nation have shown extravagant generosity and demonstrated exceptional efforts in the revitalization of the city. New Orleans was hit hard by the economic impact on tourism but the ability to recover and resume operation shows the resilience of this community.

There are over 31,000 hotel rooms available and hundreds of restaurants to choose from to enjoy fine Southern cuisine. The Crescent City remains dedicated to providing travel and dining experiences that are unforgettable. There are so many dynamic people who have committed endless amounts of time and energy to rebuild and revitalize the area. In this regard, the International Restaurant Hotel and Awards would like to honor one particular individual/company who embodies the true spirit of volunteerism with the inaugural Humanitarian of the Year Award.

In the words of Albert Schweitzer, “Humanitarianism consists in never sacrificing a most notable contribution to his community in a humanitarian sense”. This award recognizes and honors an individual/company who made enduring significant contributions to the city of New Orleans in the travel and dining industry. One individual/company can make a difference in a community for a city that exudes hope, faith and perseverance.

The Cvitanovich Family & Drago's Foundation: The great oyster restaurant served more than 77,000 people in need during and after Hurricane Katrina. The Cvitanovich family served food to relief workers and others free of charge. The entire New Orleans community recognizes the generosity of the Cvitanovich family. Recently Drago's announced the restaurant will be donating scooters to COPS 8 from the grand opening fundraiser at the new location in the Hilton Riverside. While the storm forced Drago's co-owner Tommy Cvitanovich to relocate his family to Florida, it didn't stop his determination to help area residents and rebuild his restaurant. Within a week of the hurricane, Drago's started serving meals to Coast Guard personnel who were filling the breach in the 17th Street Canal levee. Drago's also served free meals to anyone who came to their front door - police, firemen, military personnel and citizens - all while the restaurant was dealing with the damages to its own building. Drago's relief efforts continued for eight weeks. Continuing its efforts throughout the year, Drago's served more than 400 steak dinners to police and fire personnel for Thanksgiving last year. The restaurant also donated 100 percent of sales, a total of $21,000, from a Palm Sunday luncheon to a local church that had been flooded. Drago's also made donations to a church in a local oyster fishing community and New Orleans' Children's Hospital. Today, the restaurant is back to normal operations and only 30 employees short of its pre-Katrina workforce of 156 employees.

International Restaurant & Hotel Awards Sponsors & Tickets

In the tradition of the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards, the International Restaurant and Hotel Awards™ is the world’s most prestigious awards ceremony recognizing the best value, moderate and luxury travel establishments that go above and beyond industry standards.

Tickets, Premier & VIP Tables can be reserved now at . ().

The International Restaurant & Hotel Awards announced sponsors January 17th, 2008 including Michelin Maps and Guides, Villeroy & Boch, Fodor’s Travel Guides, The Chocolate Traveler, L’Occitane, Essence of Vali, Illume, Don Francisco’s Specialty Coffee, Wordlock, Crystal Files & Gifts and Epicuren. Media Partners, Media Sponsors, Advertising Partners & Association Sponsors include Hsyndicate, Hospitalitynet, ARTRAVEL Magazine, Hotel Management International, New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau Winestate, Pastry Art & Design, Boutique Design, Hospitality Magazine, The Tasting Panel, Green Lodging News, Restaurant Report, Chocolatier, Quarterly Review of Wines, Culinary Trends, Cibo, Italian Cooking & Living, ehotelier.com, Food Consultants Society International, WIWIH, Hotel Designs, Restaurant Wine, Nat Decants, International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, Hotels, Franchise Times, Lodging, The Restaurant Standard, Restaurant Business and Nation’s Restaurant News.

Tickets, VIP & Premier Tables can be reserved online at

AWARDS PROGRAM

IRHA has received submissions from over 50 countries around the world! The Jury has begun reviewing submissions from bed & breakfasts, top restaurants, chains, six-star luxury hotels, boutique hotels and independent restaurants and hotels. Top chains and hotel groups participating include The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott International, Accor Hotels, The Peninsula Hotels, Hilton Hotels, Kor Hotel Group, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels and a host of others.

Recipients will be announced at the end of April 2008. The Grand Award Nominees for the coveted titles of International Restaurant of the Year & International Hotel of the Year (value, moderate and luxury titles) will be announced in early May. The Grand Award recipients and the 2008 Irha Award Honorees will received the coveted Irha statue presented at the gala ceremony. For more information on these titles click Here.

Awards Program CATEGORIES

(Value, Moderate & Luxury)

HOTEL CATEGORIES: Best Design, Endless Amenities, Breathtaking Views, Green Award (Eco Building), Best Suite, Family Friendly, Best Bed & Breakfast, Best Water Feature (Pool, Beach or Jacuzzi), Best Spa, Best Lobby, Best New Hotel of the Year, International Hotel of the Year

RESTAURANT CATEGORIES: Best Design, Best Brunch, Best Views, Best Citywide/Regional Cuisine*, Best Specialty Item, Best Ethnic Cuisine*, Most Organic/Sustainable, Best Wine List, Best Dessert, Best New Restaurant of the Year, International Restaurant of the Year

*Best Citywide/Regional Cuisine & Best Ethnic Cuisine will be awarded by cities and regions. Judges will also award certificates of honorable mention as they see fit.

The IRHA JURY

The International Restaurant and Hotel Awards™ is juried by a board of esteemed hospitality industry professionals with extensive experience in each category field. The Jury includes representatives from the Food Network, Travel Channel, UKTV, BBC Food, CBS Radio, Zagat Survey, Cool Restaurants, Cool Hotels, Citysearch, Fodor's Travel Guides, Hungry? City Guides and more. A full list of jurors is available at .

Judging Process

The IRHA Advisory Board collaborates with International Hospitality Awards, Inc. in the creation of category review guides for each subcategory. IRHA conducts research annually in each category field by searching the web, magazines, travel guides and ratings directories, speaking with experts, attending industry expos and events, and coordinating travel and dining excursions. All submissions are then prescreened using the guides without regard to any commercial affiliation between any members of the IRHA community including sponsors, media partners, founders or Board members. Decisions are based on each subcategory review guide, value, quality of experience and interest to travel and dining enthusiasts.

Judges rate each submission from one to twenty (one being the lowest, twenty being the highest) using their professional backgrounds and the category review guides created by the IRHA Advisory Board. The scores are tallied and recipients are announced in each subcategory. The first, second and third place restaurants and hotels are the highest scoring submissions in each subcategory.

All participating hotels and restaurants are considered for citywide, regional, countrywide and worldwide recognition. The top citywide recipients move onto regional consideration and then to countrywide recognition. Countrywide recipients will be considered with all first place subcategory recipients for the coveted titles of:

International Value Hotel of the Year
International Moderate Hotel of the Year
International Luxury Hotel of the Year
International Value Restaurant of the Year
International Moderate Restaurant of the Year
International Luxury Restaurant of the Year

PRESS CREDENTIALS

If you are interested in covering the International Restaurant & Hotel Awards, please visit our press page to apply for press credentials. For additional information on the International Restaurant & Hotel Awards please visit or contact Denise Jones at 310-285-3808 x2 or [email protected]. Register at the IRHA press site to access the IRHA electronic media kit and image gallery.

Denise Jones
1-310-285-3808
IRHA (Farmani Group)

Lifetime Achievement

Visionary of the Year

Travel/Dining Publication of the Year

Designer of the Year

Spotlight On New Orleans - Humanitarian of the Year