Philippe Labbe, the executive chef at the Shangri-La hotel in Paris, has been named France’s chef of the year by the influential Gault Millau restaurant guide.

The spa at the Banyan Tree Hotel features as the most popular hotel spa on the web in China, followed by the spa at the Shangri-la and the Intercontinental spa, according to a survey carried out between January and March this year.

Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has recently unveiled a revamped website. New features, which include sharing the best of the group’s photography, aim to help travellers get closer to their destinations.

To commemorate the new site, the group is set to launch the ‘#LovingTheMoment’ Instagram initiative to encourage everyone to share photos of their location.

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa in Addu Atoll is due to open the first full-sized golf course in the Maldives on 27 March.

The nine-hole course sits on 7.5 hectares of previously undeveloped land. Designed for recreational golfers, most of the holes are par three and average 123 yards.

The Shangri-La Hotel in Tokyo has been named as the number one Luxury Hotel in the World in the Traveler’s Choice 2012 Awards by TripAdvisor.

The awards are based on reviews and opinions provided by travelers and were introduced 10 years ago.

The categories for 2012 have been expanded to include top-25 lists for 30 countries and regions, as well as an international competition for the best properties to visit.

Luxury hotel chain Shangri-La will stop serving shark fin at its 72 properties, as the campaign to protect the marine predators gains ground among Chinese consumers.

The Hong Kong-based group said it would cease serving shark fin in all of its restaurants as well as accepting new orders for shark fin products in banqueting with immediate effect, under a “sustainable seafood policy”.

Shark fin soup is viewed by many Asians as a rare delicacy and is traditionally served at wedding parties and business banquets in Hong Kong.