A huge congratulations to all the entrants who made it to the final nine of each category. There were hundreds of fabulous and worthy entries this year, which made it very hard to discern who would be honoured in our shortlists. The quality of entries was extremely high this year, alas only nine brands could be shortlisted in each category. Our panel of esteemed judges worked extremely hard to take the following OutThere brands through to the finals…
The Experientialist® Awards 2024/25 is proudly supported by…






Most OutThere travel brand
The nine most revolutionary, mindful and forward-looking travel brands that have demonstrated unrivalled and holistic innovation, inclusivity, creativity and excellence across all aspects of their operations, linked specifically to OutThere’s core values of diversity, discovery and discernment.

Andronis

Banyan Group

Hong Kong

Kimpton

Malta

Resplendent Ceylon

Scott Dunn

The Islands of Tahiti

Windjammer Landing
Most OutThere champion
These people, through stewardship, creativity, innovation and tenacity are pushing the boundaries and redefining the status quo of luxury travel. They drive market-defining experiences, are role models for their team members and deliver excellence in personalisation, diversity and inclusion, and guest experience.

Bettina Walsh – Hong Kong Tourism Board

Brad Dean – Discover Puerto Rico

Christina Guggenberger – Stockholm LGBT

Eugenio Pirri – Dorchester Collection

Kristina Snaith-Lense – The Upper House

Mike Freed – Post Ranch Inn

Nicola Shepherd – The Explorations Company

Vorapipat Dabbaransi – Avani+ Riverside Bangkok
Most OutThere initiative in inclusive travel
These nine travel brands are making a real difference when it comes to fostering inclusivity and intersectionality in luxury and experiential travel and are truly dedicated to personalisation, inclusivity and diversity in their work.

Amilla

Inclusive Morocco

International African American Museum (Explore Charleston)

La Miniera Pool Villas Pattaya

Scott Dunn

Stockholm LGBT

Tahiti Tourisme

Visit California

Visit Malta
Most OutThere initiative in community, conservation and sustainability
Social responsibility continues to be a core pillar for many of today’s luxury travel brands, encouraging travellers to journey with purpose and not just be conscious about where they travel, but also how they travel, why and with whom. It is heartwarming to see so many brands create initiatives that foster a deep and empathetic understanding of humanity, nature and sustainable custodianship, and garner support for them from their guests, travellers and the public at large. These projects are the best of the best social responsibility projects in community, conservation and sustainability, related to the mindblowing travel experiences that are true to OutThere’s core values.
*The winner(s) of this category will receive the £15,000 / $19,000 collected from entry fees to help fund their project.
We wish to honour and recognise ALL the amazing projects/submissions this year, so we have not created a shortlist in this category. We will reveal which project(s) our judges rated most deserving (and who will receive the prize fund for their project.) in February.

andBeyond –
andBeyond Vira Vira

Blue Apple Beach – Green Apple Foundation

Jade Mountain – Sustainable Actions

Kamba Africa Rainforest Experiences – Odzala-Kokoua National Park

Lemala Camps & Lodges – The Untold Story

Mantis – The Banana Leaf Slipper Project

Mashpi Lodge – The Forests of the Chocó

NIHI – Sumba Hospitality Foundation

Palladium Hotel Group – Palladium Cares

The Pavilions Himalayas – Right4Children

Singita – Singita Lowveld Trust

Six Senses Laamu – SHELL

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises – The TreadRight Foundation / Make Travel Matter

Wilderness – Children in the Wilderness
The following six categories for the Experientialist Awards shortlist celebrate the luxury travel brands, that like us, are rooted in diversity, discovery and discernment and linked to the six OutThere traveller profiles.
The Adventurer award
The nine most adventurous brands from a long list of worthy entries, these travel providers have a real sense of discovery, one that gets their customers out into the great outdoors and pushes their boundaries.

andBeyond

Bhutan

cazenove & loyd

Eleven Experience

Kamba Africa Rainforest Experiences

PONANT

The Slow Cyclist

Wildluing

Xigera Safari Lodge
The Culturalist award
These shortlisted brands have and celebrate “culture” at their very heart, not just limited to the Arts, but also the local community and destination that they’re in.

100 Princes Street

Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto

Botanic Sanctuary

Costa Navarino

Hotel De L’Europe Amsterdam

ME Barcelona

Raffles Jaipur

Santa Monica

Shinta Mani Mustang
The Escapist award
These escapist journeys celebrate ‘getting away from it all’, wellbeing and peace of mind, all worthy finalists from a mammoth list of entries each vying to make the Experientialist Awards shortlist. In fact, the list was so mammoth this year, that the judges have decided to split this category into two.
The first Escapist Award celebrates the brands that help OutThere travellers truly get away from it all.

Buahan Banyan Tree Escape

Cali Mykonos

Kisawa Sanctuary

Mashpi Lodge

Nirjhara

Waldorf Astoria Seychelles

Wildluing

Xigera Safari Lodge

Zannier Bãi San Hô
The second Escapist award recognises the brands that lead the way in wellness and wellbeing.

AIRE Ancient Baths

Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne

Cape of Senses

Chiva Som

Dharana at Shillim

Evian Resort

Kagi Maldives

Naturhotel Forsthofgut

Six Senses
The Hedonist award
We loved judging this “just because” category, and have shortlisted nine of the most simply indulgent, mindblowing properties, brands and experiences rooted in fun and celebration.

Ashford Castle

Cali Mykonos

Gleneagles

Iniala Beach House / Iniala Harbour House

Mandarin Oriental

Melia Ibiza

Suvretta House

The Witchery

Thailand
The Insider award
These nine brands are all centred around ‘being in the know’ – they’re otherwise hard-to-access journeys, but made available because of the brand’s innovation, creativity and connections.

Broadwick Soho

Capella Bangkok

Cartology Travel

Jacada Travel

PoB Hotels

Scott Dunn

Shangri-La

The Siam

Tuscany Now & More
The Sophisticate award
The most hotly contested category of these whole awards, the judges pondered, debated and reconsidered many times over as to which of the luxurious, taste-making, out-of-this-world properties, journeys and experiences they would shortlist. These are their final nine.

Capella Bangkok

Cliveden House

The House Collective

Le Grand Jardin, Ultima Collection

Palazzo Cordusio, a Gran Meliá Hotel

Nobu Hotels

Regent Hotels & Resorts

Soneva

Xara Collection