News Releases

Oct 7, 2019
DEPARTURES Announces Legend Awards Honorees
--Four Seasons, Uber, Zahav, Oceania, Qantas, and Raffles Singapore Are Among The Top Hotels, In-Flight Amenities, and Best Cities Being Recognized--
--Inaugural Awards Sponsored by Porsche--

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- DEPARTURES®, the leading voice of luxury and experiences published by Meredith Corporation for American Express Platinum Card® Members, today announced the winners of its 2019 DEPARTURES Legend Awards for excellence in travel and hospitality. Four Seasons, Uber, Zahav, Oceania, Qantas, and Raffles Singapore are among the honorees. The awards are sponsored by Porsche.

Departures Logo (PRNewsfoto/Departures)

"The DEPARTURES Legend Awards celebrate the very best of what's available right now in luxury travel, helping our readers plan once-in-a-lifetime vacations and better business trips alike," said Jeffries Blackerby, Editor-in-Chief of DEPARTURES. 

The awards, selected by the DEPARTURES Editorial team, span 16 categories, from Best Luxury Hotel Opening to Most Instagrammable Destination, covering every aspect of air, rail, and hotel travel experiences and amenities. The awards are a new flagship for DEPARTURES.com 

"For the first time, DEPARTURES.com has curated a set of truly legendary brands and destinations that continue to super-serve our audience on every level," said Deanne Kaczerski, Digital Executive Editor of Departures. 'We're always looking for things that go beyond elevating an experience—we want to give our audience something to share and talk about."

Editors curated the list of honorees based on experiences between September 2018 and September 2019, awarding honors to at least 10 properties, products or services per category. 

The 2019 DEPARTURES Legends Awards categories are:

  1. Best New Hotel Opening
  2. Best Hotel Renovation or Reopening
  3. Best Meal
  4. Best Unique Eco-Initiatives 
  5. Best Luxury Transport
  6. Most Instagrammable Destinations
  7. Most Stunning Buildings 
  8. Most Amazing Over-the-Top Suites
  9. Best Products That Change the Way We Travel
  10. Best In-Flight Amenities
  11. Best Luxury Cruise Lines 
  12. Best Adventure and Over-the-Top Experiences
  13. Best Cities to Visit
  14. Best Private Transportation 
  15. Best Private Islands
  16. Best Wellness Experiences

The full list of honorees, along with detailed explanations for why each honoree was chosen, can be found on the DEPARTURES website: https://www.departures.com/legend-awards.

ABOUT DEPARTURES
DEPARTURES®, the leading voice of luxury and experiences, is published by Meredith Corporation for American Express Platinum Card® Members. DEPARTURES is published seven times a year, publishes DEPARTURES Home + Design biannually and has 18 international editions. Centurion® is published bi-annually for Centurion Members.

SOURCE Meredith Corporation

For further information: Jill Davison, Jill.Davison@meredith.com, 212-522-0105; Alexis Leshner, Alexis.Leshner@meredith.com, 212-522-0383