Singapore, 19 June 2001 � The Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has evaluated and picked Angsana Resort & Spa Great Barrier Reef as its new member in Queensland, Australia, ranking the Angsana with such illustrious names as The Ritz in London, The London Outpost of the Carnegie Club, Relais Christine and Hotel de Vendome in Paris, Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, USA, the Medusa in Australia and Pangkor Laut Resort in Malaysia.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World comprises 280 hotels set in superb locations around the world. Every Small Luxury Hotel has its own unique character, its own individual appeal, be it a city sanctuary, adventure playground or spa destination. Travel Agents can gain immediate access to these properties using the unique prefix �LX� on leading airline reservation systems such as AMADEUS, AXESS, APOLLO (Roommaster, Galileo, Gemini), SABRE (Fantasia), SAHARA, SYSTEM ONE and WORLDSPAN. Membership to this consortium is granted strictly based on a stringent evaluation of the property�s service quality, facilities, accommodation, food and beverage standard. Random inspections are then carried out to ensure that SLH properties maintain the requisite standard of excellence, so that guest expectations are consistently met. SLH representative, Michael Hall, who inspected the property for membership qualification, commented in his report, �One thing that the Angsana Resort and Spa has, that no one else has: it was quite magical being able to walk from the Resort onto the beautiful landscaped gardens and through the palm trees directly onto the sandy beach.� The overall evaluation of the resort was �Good� in the areas of Service, Accommodation and Food, while the Staff was rated �Excellent�.

The only resort in the Cairns and Palm Cove region to boast absolute beach frontage to the Coral Sea, which opens directly to the Great Barrier Reef, Angsana Great Barrier Reef offers 69 spacious One-, Two-, or Three Bedroom Suites, all with balconies looking out over the pool or to the serene Coral Sea. Angsana Spa, the anchoring feature of the resort, is a new spa concept developed by the team who pioneered the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa.

A contemporary, holistic, non-clinical tropical garden spa, the Angsana presents a unique blend of spa treatments that make use of natural ingredients like native flowers, exotic scents, herbs, fruits, spices and plants. �The launching of Angsana Spa was to capture the increasing demand and boom in the spa industry. Many Australians are taking shorter, upmarket trips and really pampering themselves. They want to truly feel rejuvenated after their break,� says Lynne Ireland, Regional Manager-Asia Pacific of SLH.

Another prominent highlight of the resort is the Angsana Gallery, a lifestyle retail outlet carrying its own newly developed line of blended and essential oils, incense sticks, spa accessories, skin and body care products as well as a variety of fashion wear and home furnishings. Guests of the resort can enjoy relaxing swims in any of its three swimming pools and experience exotic beachside dining at the award-winning Far Horizons Restaurant & Bar.

Angsana Resort & Spa Great Barrier Reef is located at No.1, Veivers Road, Palm Cove, Cairns, Queensland 4879, Australia. To find out more about Angsana Resorts & Spa, make direct bookings and get instant room confirmation, consumers can visit www.angsana.com. For reservations through Small Luxury Hotels, guests may call the SLH toll-free numbers worldwide or its Sydney office on telephone no. 00 1 800 525 48000 (Freecall).

About Angsana Resorts & Spa The sister brand of the award winning Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, the Angsana Resorts & Spa was launched by the Wah Chang Group in June 2000 with the opening of its flagship resort, Angsana Resort & Spa Bintan in Indonesia. Angsana Resort & Spa Great Barrier Reef, which is targeted at the lucrative holiday market in Australia, opened its doors to travellers in late 2000. This was quickly followed by the opening of Angsana Oasis Spa & Resort Bangalore in India this April. The next Angsana Resort & Spa is scheduled to open in Ihuru, Maldives in October 2001.

Angsana Spa places special emphasis on the use of aromatherapy and the sense of touch in the pampering of the body, mind and soul. Set in the most breathtaking settings ranging from seaside pavilions to lush garden terraces, the privacy and tranquility at each Angsana retreat allows guests to shed their cares of the world and rediscover sensory pleasures. The assurance of renewal and rejuvenation of the inner self is a commitment that Angsana Spa delivers to every guest.

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For high quality visuals and more information, please contact: Agnes Tan Content Editor/Public Relations Manager Banyantree.com Pte Ltd Angsana.com Tel: +65 840 5872 Fax: +65 4629800 Email: agnes.tan@banyantree.com agnes.tan@banyantravel.com