World Villa Awards opens for entry with more than 400 categories spanning 10 regions

Entries have opened for the inaugural World Villa Awards, with more than 400 categories recognising the breadth of villa hospitality across 10 regions worldwide.

From beachfront hideaways and safari villas to private island estates and specialist holiday rental companies, the programme has been designed to reflect the many ways travellers experience a villa holiday.

The inaugural structure comprises 309 regional awards and 119 country and destination awards. Together, they cover Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, North America, Oceania and South America.

Categories recognise individual villas, villas within hotels and resorts, dedicated villa resorts, guest experiences, destinations and the companies that bring villa holidays together.

Highlights include Europe’s Leading Luxury Villa, the Caribbean’s Leading Beachfront Villa and the Indian Ocean’s Leading Overwater Villa. More specialised awards include South Africa’s Leading Luxury Safari Villa, alongside categories recognising romantic and family villas, wellness villa resorts, golf villas, historic properties and exclusive-use estates.

The programme also recognises the wider sector through awards for Leading Villa Destination and Leading Holiday Villa Rental Company. Country and destination categories provide opportunities for properties to earn recognition within their own markets, alongside the regional honours.

Graham Cooke, Founder, World Travel Awards, said: “A remarkable villa holiday can take many forms. It might be a family gathering on the Caribbean coast, a private safari experience in Africa or an overwater escape in the Indian Ocean. Our categories reflect that variety and give excellence a place to be recognised.

“We invite villa owners, resort teams and specialist companies to enter and tell us what makes their experience stand out. This inaugural programme is an opportunity to put their work before an international audience.”

Part of the World Travel Awards family, World Villa Awards celebrates both extraordinary places to stay and the quality of hospitality behind them.

The inaugural winners will be unveiled at Princess Grand Jamaica on 15 October 2026 as part of World Travel Week Jamaica.

To explore the full category list and submit an entry, visit www.worldvillaawards.com.

ENDS