Congratulations to Provo’s Nikheel Advani, one of five nominees for Hotelier of the Year chosen from around the world for the 10th annual Best of the Best Awards, held during Virtuoso Travel Week earlier this month in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We’re tremendously proud that our partners at Virtuoso have chosen to nominate Nikheel for the honor of Hotelier of the Year,” said Mark Durliat, Grace Bay Resorts CEO. “This is a top recognition in our industry, and speaks to Nikheel’s track record of success, enhancing the guest experience while growing and developing our resort teams.”

As industry awards go, inclusion in the 2016 list produced by the Virtuoso Luxury Travel Network carries a nice bonus for Grace Bay Resorts, as the annual event’s Hotels and Resorts Dinner brings international luxury travel agents together with representatives of luxury travel brands.

Advani, the COO and principal for Grace Bay Resorts, was up against competition from the United States, Canada, France and the Netherlands, with the award eventually going to the general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. But to be invited to the event was a milestone not only for his resort, but the Turks & Caicos: Advani became the first nominee for the award in TCI history.

In addition to his duties at Grace Bay Resorts, Advani serves on the British Governors Business Advisory Group, chairs the board of Turks and Caicos International University, and is the Vice President of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association. He teaches at Cornell University and serves on multiple boards, including Leading Hotels of the World and The Bondhi Tree Foundation.