The winners for the distinguished 2016 Gold Circle Awards has been announced by agoda, one of Asia’s most prominent hotel booking sites. Also part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), The Gold Circle Awards is an annual event that commemorates accommodation partners from around the world that exemplifies the best qualities of the online booking travel experience.

Ten Resorts in the Maldives have managed to attain titles among the winners. These properties include Angsana Ihuru Resort, Bandos Maldives, Eriyadu Island Resort, Furaveri Island Resort and Spa, Hotel Ocean Grand at Hulhumale, Meeru Island Resort & Spa, Velassaru Maldives Resort, Veligandu Island Resort & Spa, Kaani Beach Hotel at Maafushi and Vilamendhoo Island Resort& Spa.

This Gold Circle Award establishes the 8th year in celebrating accommodation partners. These selected winners have worked closely with agoda to go the extra mile to set the standard in internet offering. The selection criteria to determine award recipients consists of persistently positive customer reviews, competitive pricing among competition, diligent utilization of agoda’s custom-built YCS (Yield Control System) and an enthusiastic cooperation with agoda to create the most sufficient bookings worldwide.

As mentioned on the press release by agoda, the Chief Operating Officer at agoda’s stated that “I am delighted to announce the winners of the 2016 Gold Circle Awards, which honor excellence in the online hospitality industry. With a number of innovations at agoda, GCA winners demonstrated an outstanding commitment to ensuring the best online booking travel experience for their customers,”. Mr. John Brown also said that “Indeed, as less than 1% of our 1 million+ properties this year qualified for the award, the GCAs stand as a solid indicator of the level of quality that must be met to be considered”.

“Each year the selection becomes more competitive as accommodation properties continue to enhance their customer offerings on agoda. We are very much looking forward to working even closer with our partners in 2017, to bring an even better online booking travel experience.” agoda’s Vice President for Global Partner Services, Mr. Errol Cooke added as a comment on how the industry and modern travelers’ expectations have raised the bar on quality of cutting-edge technology and world class service.

The successors of the awards include 1208 of agoda’s accommodation partners from all around the world. The awards are to be sent out by the end of February. Countries such as Japan, Australia, Indonesia and China took home the titles for more than 70 properties. The country with the most properties was Thailand, with 130 properties.

On the fast track of progression, agoda is charting various new initiatives to establish closer and more productive relationships with accommodation partners globally to achieve better business results in the upcoming year.

(on icon photo - Velassaru Maldives, a winner of the 2016 Gold Circle Award)