World Travel Awards have awarded The President Hotel in Lilongwe as the best hole in Malawi.

The hotel which is under Umodzi Holdings, was the first hospitality establishment to be awarded a five-star hotel rating in the country.

The award was presented at an event that took place in Dubai on Sunday.

Reacting to the news, Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule said the award means a lot to Malawi as a country.

“This is a positive development which will instil confidence in visiting tourists. It is my hope that the hotel management will take this as a challenge to do more and better,” she said.

On his part, Umodzi Holdings Limited chief executive officer Steve Lwanda said they are excited with the award, which is in recognition of the excellent services they offer.

“We are constantly participating in international marketing events so that we can strategically position ourselves as the preferred hotel for business in Malawi,” he said.

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of travel, tourism and hospitality industries.