The winners of this year’s World Spa Awards have been announced during a gala reception held at the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay resort in Vietnam.

Held for the third time, the awards celebrate and reward spa industry excellence across a number of categories, and also name best spas for individual countries.

There were more than 150 winners on the night, with Morocco was deemed the world’s best spa destination for 2017, edging out eight other nominees, including Dubai, Jamaica, the Maldives and Vietnam.

The Talise Ottoman Spa at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai, was named the world’s best resort spa, while The Gaia Retreat and Spa in New South Wales, Australia, was given the award for best day spa.

The award for the world’s best hotel spa went to The Spa at Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (A Four Seasons Hotel) in California, US, while Anantara was named as the world’s best hotel spa brand.

Iridium Spa at The St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort won three awards: for best spa design, Maldives' best resort spa and Indian Ocean's best resort spa, with a concept and design created by AW Lake in conjunction with Singapore-based WOW Architects.

Other winners included Lanserhof Tegernsee (best medical spa); QMS MediCosmetics (best spa brand); and CrassulaECO Spa at Cornelia De Luxe Resort (best eco-spa).

“It has been a pleasure to recognise so many industry leaders here this evening and I hope their recognition, both by their peers and members of the public, will inspire them to aim ever higher in the pursuit of excellence,” said Rebecca Cohen, World Spa Awards managing director.

The World Spa Awards, which took place on 10 December, is the sister event of World Travel Awards, which is celebrating its 24th anniversary this year.