The 2017 World Spa & Wellness Awards are now open for entries, remaining open until 10am on July 5.

The awards, which are free to enter, with applications completed online, highlight excellence in spas, resorts and wellness destinations around the world.

There are a total of 11 awards. Spas can enter Hotel Spa of the Year or Resort Spa of the Year across five geographical regions: Western Europe & Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa, North & South America and Asia & Australasia.

The 11^th category, Worldwide Health & Wellness Destination of the Year, is open to all wellness destinations around the world.

The winners will be revealed in a black-tie awards ceremony on Sunday February 26, when the winners of the 2017 Professional Beauty Awards will also be announced.

Find out from these previous awards winners what a World Spa & Wellness Awards trophy has meant to them, how they celebrated receiving it and how winning could help raise the profile of your spa:

Alcide Leali, managing director, Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, Italy, winner 2016 winner of Worldwide Health & Wellness Destination
“We were so proud to win the award for Worldwide Health and Wellness Destination for 2016. Not only has it significantly improved our brand awareness, but it has really motivated our team.

“We take customer service very seriously and will continue to strive to offer the highest standard of service to our guests.”

Florence Schaeffer, spa manager, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, 2016 winner of Resort Spa of the Year: Western Europe & Scandinavia
“We have integrated the award into our communication and mentioned it in newsletters and on social media, and we launched a competition on Facebook. We also celebrated the success of winning this award with our staff, including the team at the 36.5° Wellbeing & Thermal Spa.

"We made a video for social media showing the staff celebrating the award, and we created an Awards Package because we wanted to give something back to our guests and let them be a part of the story.

“The award is of course exhibited at the 36.5° Wellbeing & Thermal reception, in order to make it visible to our guests. We believe that the award has a direct impact on the guests as the perception of our resort as Europe’s leading wellbeing and medical health resort has increased. In the long term, we might win more primary and secondary wellness travellers for our resort.

For more information about the awards, and to submit your FREE entry by July 5, click HERE.