A luxury resort in central Vietnam has been named the world’s best by global travel professionals and industry players as part of an annual award, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said Thursday. 

The InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort, located in Da Nang City, won the World’s Leading Luxury Resort category of the 2014 World Travel Awards (WTA), according to the administration.

The awards were presented during a grand gala ceremony in Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, on December 7.

This is the first time a Vietnamese resort has taken home the prestigious award, according to the tourism administration. 

Crowned by the WTA in October as Asia’s Leading Luxury Resort and Vietnam’s Leading Resort, the Vietnamese resort defeated other esteemed nominees to win the World’s Leading Luxury Resort category with the highest votes from travel professionals and industry players from around the world, the resort’s website reads.

Nestling to the north of the Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang, the sumptuous resort was first open to guests in June 2012.

The iconic Bill Bensley-designed resort has also garnered numerous international awards for its excellent service, gorgeous architecture, dining, and entertainment.

Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards are meant to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry every year.

In 2013, over 500,000 individual votes were cast by travel professionals and hi-end tourism consumers, the awards’ website says.

Its grand final gala is heralded as the travel industry's equivalent to the Oscar's by The Wall Street Journal.

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