The Stars Come Out

Business Traveler rolls out the red carpet to honor the Best in Business Travel and welcome the Business Travelers of the Year

Frequent business travelers appreciate all that goes into being the best. They’re constantly on the lookout for the attributes of connection, comfort, value and quality in the travel service providers they choose, those who stand out as better than all the others in their class. That’s the meaning behind the Best in Business Travel Awards – you, our readers, can recognize the best in the business because you’ve seen it first-hand.

So it was that on Jan. 8, industry leaders from across the spectrum of business travel gathered at the glamorous Loews Hollywood Hotel to honor the winners of Business Traveler’s 2014 Best in Business Travel Awards.

The energy that has been the hallmark of the business travel industry during the past year was evident – in the conversations, first-time meetings and reunions, which began during the cocktail reception that kicked off the event and lasted throughout the evening’s festivities. The spacious ballroom of the chic Loews Hollywood Hotel was the perfect venue to host the event.

More than just a place to stay on Highland Avenue, the 20-story Loews is quintessential Hollywood, located as it is near landmarks such as the Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Bowl and the Sunset Strip. Recently refinished, everything about the hotel from lobby to its 632 guestrooms and suites bears an unmistakable LA vibe.

On with the Show

The evening began with a formal welcome by Jerry Allison, group publisher of Business Traveler, who presented an overview of the magazine’s growth in the past year and developments in our worldwide network of publications. Jerry was followed by John Hackett, vice president sales - transient for Loews Hotels and Resorts, who added his welcome from the luxury hotel chain and its Hollywood property.

Later in the evening, Jerry returned to the microphone to present Pencils for Kids, the international charity that brings thousands of impoverished children around the world the supplies they need for the opportunity of a lifetime – the opportunity for an education. Again in 2015, Business Traveler is holding an online auction to raise support for Pencils for Kids.

Smooth service and delicious food were the next order of business, accompanied by an assortment of wines and plenty of dinner table conversation. As the courses came andd went, Dan Booth, editorial director of Business Traveler, began the presentation of the awards.

The first attribute of the Best in Business Travel, connection,onnection, was represented by newcomers like the Best Mobile Travel App, Uber, and established names who are reinventing themselves, such as the winner of the