Business Travellers vote The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa favourite in Manama.

It's not just all work and no play for the readers of Business Traveller Middle East, who were also invited to vote for the Best Golf Course in the Middle East. This award was given to The Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.

Voted for by the readers of Business Traveller Middle East magazine, the categories covered favourite airlines, airports, hotels, golf courses and car rental companies.

Asked for their comments at the conclusion of the proceedings, Cora Stuart - Director of Marketing said "It is wonderful to be recognized as service professionals for our continuous commitment to quality and achievements in performance excellence".

Celebrity chef Anton Mosimann, who celebrates 40 years in the culinary profession this year, presented the awards in the hotel's Godolphin Ballroom before 300 guests drawn from all corners of the regional travel industry.

Pascal Duchauffour, General Manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa and the person responsible for driving the successful conversion of the property in January this year, said the award was a valuable endorsement of The Ritz-Carlton's commitment to this important market segment.

He attributed the achievement to the highly personalized attention that the hotel gives to business travellers to ensure that when visiting the resort, they enjoy a unique and memorable experience. Explicit interaction also occurs with conference delegates and meeting planners with each phase of an event carefully broken down into strict processes that ensure excellence.

The event, which coincided with the Arabian Travel Market, was sponsored by TQ3 - the worldwide provider of travel expense management solutions.

His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Regional Chairman of Vision 2020 - the nominated charity of the event - gave a speech, outlining the efforts made by the global consortium of major blindness prevention charities to eliminate unnecessary blindness by the year 2020.

Following on from its success last year, Emirates Airlines was once again announced Best Airline, Best Regional Airline and Airline with the Best Cabin Crew serving the Middle East although Gulf Air has risen impressively through the ranks in the last year, scooping runners-up spot in each of these categories. The Best European Airline award went to British Airways and Singapore Airlines was awarded Best Asian Airline serving the Middle East, while British Airway won Airline with the Best Frequent Flyer Programme.

Dubai International Airport consolidated its premier reputation with awards for the Best Airport in the Middle East and Best Airport in the Middle East for Duty Free Shopping. Hertz was named Best Car Rental Company in the Middle East.

Business Traveller magazine was launched in the UK in 1976 to cater for the international business traveller. One of six regional editions, Business Traveller Middle East is co-published by Motivate Publishing in Dubai and Perry Publications in London. With a bi-monthly circulation of 25,000, Business Traveller Middle East is the market-leading information source for all frequent travellers based in the region.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company manages 52 hotels and resorts in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Middle East and the United States. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is an independently operated division of Marriott International.