Jamaica to host inaugural World Villa Awards at Princess Grand Jamaica

The inaugural World Villa Awards will take place at Princess Grand Jamaica on 15 October 2026, bringing the international villa sector together for a celebration of excellence as part of World Travel Week Jamaica.

Set on Jamaica’s north coast at Green Island, between Montego Bay and Negril, Princess Grand Jamaica will provide the setting for the announcement of the first World Villa Awards winners.

The ceremony will recognise outstanding villas, villa resorts, destinations and specialist businesses from around the world. Joining the World Travel Week Jamaica programme places the new awards within a wider gathering celebrating achievement across travel and hospitality.

Jamaica offers a natural home for the inaugural event. The island’s villa tradition combines distinctive private properties with warm, personal hospitality, where chefs, housekeepers, gardeners and hosts are central to the experience.

Graham Cooke, Founder, World Travel Awards, said: “Jamaica understands the art of villa hospitality. Its finest properties offer beautiful surroundings, but it is the people, the welcome and the sense of belonging that guests remember. That makes it a fitting destination to begin the World Villa Awards story.

“We look forward to welcoming the international villa community to Princess Grand Jamaica on 15 October and celebrating our first winners as part of World Travel Week Jamaica.”

Marc Pelfort, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, Princess Hotels & Resorts Jamaica, said: “Hosting the inaugural World Villa Awards is an opportunity to show our industry colleagues what makes Princess Grand Jamaica and this island so special. Our team looks forward to delivering an evening full of Jamaican warmth, exceptional hospitality and celebration.

“We are proud to be part of World Travel Week Jamaica and to welcome the people whose properties and ideas are shaping the future of villa travel.”

Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board, said: “Villa holidays have long been an important part of Jamaica’s appeal. They give visitors the space to come together, discover our island and experience the personal hospitality for which Jamaica is known.

“Welcoming the inaugural World Villa Awards allows us to share that story with an international audience while celebrating excellence across the global villa sector.”

Part of the World Travel Awards family, World Villa Awards has been established to recognise the quality and variety of villa experiences worldwide, from independent private homes to exceptional resort villas and exclusive estates.

For awards information and ceremony updates, visit www.worldvillaawards.com.

ENDS