Benefits of Winning a Spa Award: 7 Practical Gains

Winning a spa award gives your business something you cannot write about yourself: an outside reference point that guests, travel advisers, partners and future team members can check. Used well, that recognition supports visibility, trust at the booking stage, press interest, team pride, recruitment and partnership conversations. This guide explains each of those seven benefits, what they look like in practice, and how to prepare a nomination for the International Spa Awards 2027.

The 7 Benefits at a Glance

1. Visibility Beyond Your Usual Audience

Most spas market to people who already know them: past guests, hotel residents and followers on their own channels. A winner announcement reaches further, because it is shared by the awards programme, by other winners and by anyone following recognition in the spa and wellness sector. The International Spa Awards brings together spa and wellness businesses from more than 100 countries, so a win places your name in an international setting rather than a purely local one.

Visibility on its own fades quickly, so plan what happens next. Prepare a short announcement, a photo and a sentence about why the category matters to your guests before the result is public. That way you can share the news on the day, while interest is at its highest.

2. Trust at the Moment Guests Compare

Guests choosing a spa, especially when travelling, often compare several options with similar treatments and prices. A clearly displayed winner title gives them a reason to pick one, because it signals that someone outside the business has reviewed it. This matters most on the pages where decisions happen: your homepage, treatment menu, booking page and listings on travel platforms.

No award guarantees a set number of extra bookings, and results vary by market and season. The practical step is to record enquiries and bookings for a few months before and after the announcement, so you can see the effect for your own business instead of relying on general claims.

3. Support for a Premium or Specialist Position

Recognition works best when it confirms something specific. A win in Best Luxury Hotel Spa supports a premium hotel spa position; Best Ayurveda Spa or Best Thermal Spa supports a specialist one; Best Day Spa supports a city spa built around regular local guests. Choosing the category that matches your real strengths makes the award easier to explain and more believable to guests.

Link the award to what guests can actually book: the signature ritual, the retreat programme or the therapist expertise that the nomination described. That connection turns a badge into a reason to choose you.

4. A Clear Reason for Press Coverage

Journalists and editors look for a news angle. An award gives you one, particularly when combined with other news such as a new programme, a renovation, an opening or a team milestone. Local and trade media are often the most receptive, because a business in their area or sector has been recognised internationally.

Keep any press release factual: the exact category name, the year, the country, and one or two concrete details about why the business was nominated. Accurate wording protects your credibility and makes the story easier to publish.

5. Pride and Recognition for Your Team

Spa quality depends on therapists, receptionists and managers. An award is a visible way to recognise their work, and many winners describe the internal effect as one of the most valuable outcomes. Share the result with the team before it goes public, credit departments or individuals in your own channels, and invite team members to be part of the celebration.

6. An Advantage When Recruiting

Skilled therapists and spa managers often choose between several employers. An international award helps a job advert stand out and gives candidates a quick signal about the standards they would be joining. Mention the winner title and year in vacancies and on your careers page, and explain what it reflects, for example training standards or guest care.

7. Openings for Partnerships

Hotels, retreat organisers, corporate wellness buyers and travel advisers all need confidence before they recommend a spa to their own clients. Recognition helps open those conversations. Add the win to your partner presentations and proposals, and follow up with businesses you already work with, since they can share the news with their own audiences.

How to Make the Most of a Win

1. Activate the winner title. The Winner Package is required to activate the winner title and grants the right to use the award name and winner title. See the winner package price page for the options.
2. Use the exact wording. State the category name, year and programme exactly as awarded, without adding words such as "best in the world".
3. Update decision pages first. Website homepage, booking page, treatment menu and travel listings.
4. Brief your front desk. A short, natural mention at check-in or on the phone helps guests notice it.
5. Share with partners and press. Send the news to hotel partners, travel advisers and local media in the first week.
6. Measure the effect. Compare enquiries, bookings and job applications before and after the announcement.

Which Category Fits Your Business?

The benefits above depend on entering a category that describes your business accurately. Common starting points include Best Hotel Spa and Best Luxury Hotel Spa for hotel spas, Best Resort Spa and Best Beach Resort Spa for resorts, Best Day Spa and Best Urban / City Spa for city spas, Best Destination Spa and Best Wellness Retreat for stay-based programmes, Best Medical Spa and Best Wellness & Skin Clinic for clinical settings, and Best Wellness Centre or Best Holistic Spa for wellness-led businesses. You can compare every option on the award categories page, and our guides to hotel spa awards, destination spa awards and beauty and wellness awards explain specific segments in more depth.

How to Nominate for 2027

Nominations for the International Spa Awards 2027 are open. Owners, managers and team members can nominate their own business, and a business can also be nominated by someone else. Winners are selected by the Jury team or the Management of Golden Tree. To prepare, read the spa award nomination guide and how to win a spa award; for the commercial side in more detail, see how spa awards grow your business. Browse past spa award winners for context, check the nomination price, and when you are ready, nominate your spa or wellness business.

Benefits of Spa Awards: Frequently Asked Questions