The 11th Annual Readers Travel Awards (2008)
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The 11th Annual Readers Travel Awards (2008)
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Category: Worldwide - Events -
Rewards
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2008-09-11
Earlier this year we asked you to vote for your favourite countries, cities and islands, hotels and spas, airlines and cruise lines, tour operators and villa-rental companies. From your responses we have produced the Readers Travel Awards for 2008: your choice of the best the travel world has to offer. The Top 100 overall winners, irrespective of category, are also listed in full. But this year you decided there is nowhere you would rather be than the Six Senses Hideaway Samui, pictured, your idea of the best of the best in the world.
TOP 100
Our Top 100 list pays tribute to the overall winners: the highest scorers, irrespective of category. And this year, top marks go to... Six Senses Hideaway Samui, Thailand
For links to all featured hotels, spas and companies, please see each individual category.
1 Six Senses Hideaway Samui, Thailand HT 96.45
2 The Chedi Muscat, Oman HT 95.19
3 New Zealand CN 95.11
4 Maldives IS 94.81
5 India CN 94.11
6 One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives HT 93.78
7 Paris CY 93.33
8 Singita Private Game Reserve, South Africa
HT 93.14
9 Greek Islands IS 93.06
10 La Residencia, Mallorca, Spain HT 93.02
11 One&Only Kanuhura, Maldives HT 92.67
12 Hotel Splendido, Portofino, Italy HT 92.59
13 Explora en Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico,
Chile HT 92.58
14 San Domenico Palace Hotel, Taormina,
Sicily HT 92.25
15 The Chedi Phuket, Thailand HT 92.22
16 New York CY 92.12
17 Bamurru Plains, Northern Territory,
Australia HT 92.06
18 North Island, Seychelles HT 92.03
19 Mauritius IS 91.88
20 The Datai, Langkawi, Malaysia HT 91.78
21 Barbados CN 91.95
22 Hotel Cipriani, Venice HT 91.70
23 Taj Mahal Palace & Tower,
Mumbai HT 91.67
24 Amanpuri, Phuket, Thailand HT 91.48
25 Italy CN 91.44
26 Soneva Gili, Maldives HT 91.43
27 Thailand CN 91.39
28 Brazil CN 91.36
29 Sydney CY 91.14
30 Four Seasons Hotel Gresham
Palace Budapest HT 91.11
31 Seychelles IS 91.09
32 Shangri-La Hotel Sydney HT 91.08
33 Sandy Lane, Barbados HT 90.86
34 Rome CY 90.85
35 Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania HT 90.78
36 Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort
& Spa, New South Wales HT 90.67
37 Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos HT 90.44
38 Barcelona CY 90.30
39 Four Seasons Resort
Chiang Mai, Thailand HT 90.29
40 Clinique La Prairie, Montreux,
Swizerland SP 90.26
41 The Ritz-Carlton Dubai, HT 90.25
42 London CY 90.22
43 Windstar Cruises CL 90.00
44 Mayr & More, Austria SP 89.70
45 Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tasmania HT 89.63
46 Venice CY 89.61
47 France CN 89.60
48 Thalassa Spa, Anassa, Cyprus SP 89.50
49 The Peninsula Hong Kong HT 89.46
50 South Africa CN 89.44
51 Koh Samui IS 89.41
52 Four Seasons Resort Maldives
at Kuda Huraa HT 89.38
53 Bellagio, Las Vegas HT 89.33
54 The Grove, Hertfordshire HT 89.31
55 Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, Kota
Kinabalu Malaysia HT 89.30
56 Pezula Spa, Pezula Resort & Spa,
South Africa SP 89.29
57 Silversea Cruises CL 89.29
58 Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul HT 89.26
59 Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London HT 89.25
60 Mandarin Oriental Miami HT 89.24
61 Londolozi Private Game Reserve,
South Africa HT 89.20
62 Babington House, Somerset HT 89.17
63 USA CN 89.14
64 Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London HT 89.09
65 Carlisle Bay, Antigua HT 88.90
66 Hayman, Queensland HT 88.89
67 Hotel de Russie, Rome HT 88.88
68 Four Seasons Hotel London HT 88.73
69 Ananda Spa, Ananda - in the Himalayas,
India SP 88.59
70 Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge,
Peru HT 88.59
71 The Oriental Bangkok, Thailand HT 88.57
72 The Spa, One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives SP 88.44
73 Greece CN 88.43
74 Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire HT 88.35
75 The Balearic Islands IS 88.33
76 Spain CN 88.28
77 Amanpulo, Philippines HT 88.25
78 Edinburgh CY 88.15
79 Carrier TO 88.13
80 Claridge's, London HT 88.11
81 British Aiways AL 88.09
82 Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai HT 88.04
83 Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris HT 88.01
84 Citalia TO 88.00
85 Singapore Airlines AL 87.99
86 Hotel Arts Barcelona HT 87.94
87 Australia CN 87.90
88 Angsana Resort & Spa, Great Barrier Reef HT 87.82
89 Elegant Resorts TO 87.76
90 Meon Villas VR 87.62
91 Claridge's HT 87.61
92 Greaves Travel TO 87.61
93 The Spa at Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire,
Scotland SP 87.60
94 Madrid Barajas Airport AP 87.60
95 Powder Byrne VR 87.59
96 Celebrity Cruises CL 87.58
97 CV Travel VR 87.57
98 Mexico CN 87.55
99 Egypt CN 87.51
100 Park Hyatt Tokyo HT 87.45
OVERSEAS HOTELS
OVERSEAS LEISURE HOTELS: Asia & the Indian Subcontinent
Six Senses Hideaway Samui on the Thai island of Koh Samui not only walked away with the award for the best hotel in ASIA & THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT, but scored so highly that it made the number one spot in our 'best of the best' Top 100. Every one of you who has stayed there raved about its sophisticated ambience/decor (93.75), environmental friendliness (97.50), lovely location (97) and extensive leisure facilities (96.25). Elsewhere, you reckon the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore is best for service (91.11) and The Chedi Phuket has the highest standard/comfort of accommodation (96.67) in the region.
1 Six Senses Hideaway Samui, Thailand 96.45
2 The Chedi Phuket, Thailand 92.22
3 The Datai, Langkawi, Malaysia 91.78
4 Amanpuri, Phuket, Thailand 91.48
5 Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand 90.29
6 The Peninsula Hong Kong 89.46
7 Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia 89.30
8 The Oriental Bangkok, Thailand 88.57
9 Amanpulo, Philippines 88.25
10 Park Hyatt Tokyo 85.78
11 Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore 84.94
12 Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong 83.64
13 Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, India 82.96
14 Wildflower Hall Shimla in the Himalayas, India 82.54
15 Mandarin Oriental Chiang Mai, Thailand 81.94
16 InterContinental Hong Kong 80.85
17 Six Senses Hideaway Hua Hin, Thailand 79.26
18 Taj Malabar, Cochin, India 79.07
19 The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India 78.89
20 The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, India 77.33
OVERSEAS LEISURE HOTELS: Australia & the South Pacific
In AUSTRALASIA & THE SOUTH PACIFIC, you were most impressed with Bamurru Plains in Northern Territory, in particular its remote location (96.36) and service/staff (98.36). You felt that Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa offers the best standard/comfort of accommodation (95.56), while Sails in the Desert Hotel scored highest for environmental friendliness (96).
1 Bamurru Plains, Northern Territory 92.06
2 Shangri-La Hotel Sydney 91.08
3 Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa, New South Wales 90.67
4 Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tasmania 89.63
5 Hayman, Queensland 88.89
6 Angsana Resort & Spa, Great Barrier Reef 87.82
7 Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart, Tasmania 85.33
8 Huka Lodge Taupo, New Zealand 84.25
9 Sails in the Desert Hotel, Uluru, Australia 83.82
10 The Observatory Hotel, Sydney 83.46
11 Longitude 131º, Uluru, Australia 83.33
12 The Prince, Melbourne 83.21
13 Blanket Bay, Glenorchy, New Zealand 82.22
14 Freycinet Lodge, Tasmania 81.56
15 Bedarra Island, Great Barrier Reef 80.32
16 Peppers Martinborough Hotel, Martinborough, New Zealand 79.56
17 Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, French Polynesia 78.22
18 Eagles Nest, New Zealand 77.78
19 Lizard Island Resort, Queensland 75.80
20 Establishment Hotel, Sydney 73.78
VERSEAS LEISURE HOTELS: The Americas & the Caribbean
As for THE AMERICAS & THE CARIBBEAN, the Explora en Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico in Chile achieved sufficiently high scores across the board to propel it into first place, helped by a perfect 100 for environmental friendliness and a close-as-damn-it 98 for its rugged location. Elsewhere, Sandy Lane on Barbados was selected for its ambience/decor (96), the Bellagio in Las Vegas for its shopping facilities (90.91) and Carlisle Bay on Antigua for its standard/comfort of accommodation (90).
1 Explora en Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico, Chile 92.58
2 Sandy Lane, Barbados 90.86
3 Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos 90.44
4 Bellagio, Las Vegas 89.33
5 Carlisle Bay, Antigua 88.90
6 Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge,
Peru 88.59
7 Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina 85.71
8 Hotel St-Barth Isle de France, St Barts 85.40
9 The Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada 85.00
10 Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 83.89
11 Anse Chastanet Resort, St Lucia 82.22
12 Cotton House, Mustique 81.73
13 SoHo Grand Hotel, New York 79.56
14 Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands 79.05
15 The Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, Canada 78.41
16 Esperanza, Los Cabos, Mexico 78.21
17 The Setai, Miami 78.05
18 Malliouhana Hotel & Spa, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands 77.77
19 Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley 73.76
20 The Carlyle, New York 73.34
What are all these numbers?
EXPLORA EN PATAGONIA HOTEL SALTO CHICO
OVERSEAS LEISURE HOTELS: Europe, Asia Minor & the Russian Federation
In EUROPE, ASIA MINOR & THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, you thought this year's winner, La Residencia on Mallorca, enjoys the best ambience/decor (96), but the Hotel Cipriani in Venice holds the title for best leisure facilities (97.50) and the San Domenico Palace Hotel on Sicily for most outstanding location (96.67).
1 La Residencia, Mallorca 93.02
2 Hotel Splendido, Portofino, Italy 92.59
3 San Domenico Palace Hotel, Taormina, Sicily 92.25
4 Hotel Cipriani, Venice 91.70
5 Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest 91.11
6 Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul 89.26
7 Hotel de Russie, Rome 88.88
8 Hotel Arts Barcelona, Spain 87.94
9 Le Meurice, Paris 85.93
10 Hotel Caruso, Ravello, Italy 84.17
11 Hôtel Costes, Paris 84.00
12 Anassa, Cyprus 82.96
13 Château de Bagnols, France 81.11
14 Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole, Italy 79.68
15 Bulgari Hotel Milan 78.67
16 Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy 77.41
17 Hôtel Ritz Paris 76.89
18 Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg 74.92
19 Hôtel de Crillon, Paris 74.81
20 Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, Lake Garda, Italy 73.33
What are all these numbers?
LA RESIDENCIA, MALLORCA
OVERSEAS LEISURE HOTELS: Middle East, Africa & the Indian Ocean
In the MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA & THE INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS, you were taken by The Chedi Muscat, which scored above 90 in nine out of 10 criteria (you only marked it down for value for money). In South Africa, you felt that Singita Private Game Reserve deserved an astonishing 100 for its service/staff and Londolozi Private Game Reserve should get 95 for its environmental friendliness. In the Maldives, One&Only Reethi Rah came out best for food/restaurants (96.67) and One&Only Kanuhura for location (an emphatic 100).
1 The Chedi Muscat, Oman 95.19
2 One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives 93.78
3 Singita Private Game Reserve, South Africa 93.14
4 One&Only Kanuhura, Maldives 92.67
5 North Island, Seychelles 92.03
6 Soneva Gili, Maldives 91.43
7 Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania 90.78
8 Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa 89.38
9 Londolozi Private Game Reserve, South Africa 89.20
10 Ellerman House, Cape Town 87.22
11 Cocoa Island Resort, Maldives 85.33
12 Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi, UAE 85.25
13 Kwandwe Private Game Reserve, South Africa 84.44
14 Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai, UAE 83.81
15 Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, South Africa 83.11
16 Cape Grace, Cape Town 81.67
17 Quilálea, Mozambique 80.74
18 The Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town 79.56
19 Denis Island, Seychelles 78.52
20 Huvafen Fushi, Maldives 78.06
What are all these numbers?
THE CHEDI MUSCAT, OMAN
OVERSEAS BUSINESS HOTELS
Where do you most enjoy doing business? Here's a clue: four of the 20 hotels you chose are in Dubai, where The Ritz-Carlton led the way with its conference facilities (91.11) and value for money (88.89). The Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris is best for standard/comfort of accommodation and ambience/ decor (94.55; 98.18) and you tipped the Mandarin Oriental Miami a generous 99 for service/staff. But the overall winner is Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai, which scored more than 90 for food/restaurants and shopping facilities.
1 Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai 91.67
2 The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai 90.25
3 Mandarin Oriental, Miami 89.24
4 Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai 88.04
5 Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris 88.01
6 Park Hyatt Tokyo 87.45
7 Hotel Ritz, Madrid 84.17
8 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Singapore 83.71
9 Shangri-La Hotel Singapore 83.64
10 The Madinat Jumeirah - The Arabian Resort of Dubai 82.00
11 Leela Palace Kempinski Bangalore, India 81.78
12 The Peninsula Hong Kong 81.25
13 Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong 80.86
14 Mandarin Oriental New York 79.67
15 Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow 79.14
16 Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai 78.25
17 The Waldorf Astoria, New York 77.33
18 The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul 76.67
19 Hilton Dubai Creek, Dubai 75.60
20 Four Seasons Hotel Milano 75.59
SPAS
DESTINATION SPAS
There is nowhere you would rather be than Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland, which you gave scores above 85 for all criteria but chose to highlight for its cuisine (94.74), ambience/decor (93.14) and facilities (95.79). Mayr & More in Austria was awarded 89.52 for environmental friendliness and The BodyHoliday at LeSport on St Lucia got a healthy 91.11 for its amenities/products, while Chiva-Som International Health Resort won you over with its individual approach (92).
1 Clinique La Prairie, Montreux, Switzerland 90.26
2 Mayr & More, Austria 89.70
3 Ananda Spa, Ananda - in the Himalayas, India 88.59
4 The Source, COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali 87.23
5 Chiva-Som International Health Resort, Hua Hin, Thailand 87.09
6 Mii Amo Spa at Enchantment Resort, Sedona, USA 86.97
7 The BodyHoliday at LeSport, St Lucia 85.86
8 Cal-a-Vie, California 85.76
9 Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort, Italy 85.19
10 Spa Village, Pangkor Laut Resort, Malaysia 83.64
11 Canyon Ranch Lenox, Massachusetts 81.52
12 Therme Vals, Switzerland 80.40
13 Monart, Wexford, Ireland 80.26
14 Spa Hotel Royal, Evian Royal Resort, Evian-les-Bains, France 79.64
15 Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort, San Casciano dei Bagni, Italy 77.98
What are all these numbers?
CLINIQUE LA PRAIRIE, MONTREAUX, SWITZERLAND
SPAS IN OVERSEAS HOTELS
You say The Spa at One&Only Reethi Rah in Maldives cannot be bettered for staff/service (94.29), the ambience/decor at COMO Shambhala at Parrot Cay in Turks & Caicos is outstanding (93.33), the facial and body treatments at Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa are worth travelling to South Africa for (an impressive 92.50 and 97.50 respectively). But your overall favourite this year is the Thalassa Spa at Anassa on Cyprus, which was buoyed by top marks for facilities (95) and amenities/products (94.98).
1 Thalassa Spa, Anassa, Cyprus 89.50
2 Pezula Spa, Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa, South Africa 89.29
3 The Spa, One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives 88.44
4 COMO Shambhala, Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos 87.42
5 The Spa, The Datai, Langkawi, Malaysia 87.40
6 Banyan Tree Spa, Banyan Tree Phuket, Thailand 87.33
7 Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, Interlaken, Switzerland 87.20
8 Six Senses Earth Spa, Six Senses Hideaway Hua Hin, Thailand 85.78
9 Spa Pure Altitude, Les Fermes de Marie, Megève, France 85.75
10 The Retreat, Aphrodite Hills, Cyprus 84.89
11 Cinq Mondes Spa, Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne, Switzerland 84.29
12 Talassoterapia Spa, Masseria San Domenico, Puglia, Italy 83.89
13 Oriental Spa, Oriental Bangkok, Thailand 83.56
14 Spa Retreat, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island 82.18
15 Anantara Resort & Spa, Hua Hin, Thailand 81.60
What are all these numbers?
THALASSA SPA AT ANASSA, CYPRUS
SPAS IN UK HOTELS
The Spa at Gleneagles Hotel is this year's overall winner, with the category's highest scores for body treatments (91.58), facial treatments (87.37) and service/staff (90.53). The Spa at London's Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is best for facilities (89.09) and accommodation (96.36), but The Spa at The Dorchester beat the rest for individual approach with an unsurpassed 86.77 and Sequoia at The Grove came out on top for exercise programmes (85.45) and amenities/products (89.09).
1 The Spa at Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland 87.60
2 The Spa, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London 87.43
3 Sequoia at The Grove, Hertfordshire 87.10
4 The Spa, The Dorchester, London 86.53
5 One Spa, Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh 84.86
6 The Spa, Chewton Glen, New Milton, Hampshire 84.80
7 C-side, Cowley Manor, Gloucestershire 84.44
8 Bath House Spa, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath 83.50
9 The Spa, Pennyhill Park Hotel & The Spa, Surrey 82.92
10 Calcot Spa, Calcot Manor, Gloucestershire 82.20
11 Cowshed, Babington House, Somerset 81.82
12 The Serenity Spa, Seaham Hall, County Durham 80.63
13 The Spa, Barnsley House, Gloucestershire 80.44
14 The Spa, Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire 79.43
15 Marine Spa at The St David's Hotel & Spa, Cardiff 79.11
UK HOTELS
UK LEISURE HOTELS
This year's winner, The Grove in Hertfordshire, scored consistently well, but it did better than the rest for leisure facilities and value for money (96.36; 87.27). Perhaps unsurprisingly, Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons scored highest for food/restaurants (97.50), while you reckon the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park provides the best service/staff (93.33) and Hotel Tresanton the highest standard/comfort of accommodation (94.29). And the best-looking hotel? Well, you gave both Babington House in Somerset and Barnsley House in Gloucestershire more than 90 for their sensational contemporary-country ambience/decor.
1 The Grove, Hertfordshire 89.31
2 Babington House, Somerset 89.17
3 Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London 89.09
4 Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire 88.35
5 Claridge's, London 88.11
6 Barnsley House, Gloucestershire 86.29
7 The Soho Hotel, London 86.11
8 The Lanesborough, London 85.93
9 Hotel Tresanton, Cornwall 85.71
10 Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire 85.27
11 Chewton Glen, Hampshire 84.67
12 Cowley Manor, Gloucestershire 83.25
13 One Aldwych, London 82.67
14 Cliveden, Berkshire 82.57
15 Sanderson, London 81.78
16 Brown's Hotel, London 80.33
17 The Metropolitan, London 79.60
18 The Ritz London 79.43
19 Malmaison Oxford 78.33
20 Whatley Manor, Wiltshire 78.00
What are all these numbers?
THE GROVE
UK BUSINESS HOTELS
London's Jumeirah Carlton Tower cannot be beaten for its Knightsbridge location (95.56) or its business services/systems available (88.89), just two reasons why you think it's the best hotel to do business in the UK. But for service, head for the Four Seasons Hotel London (87.50) and for ambience/decor to Claridge's (92). The InterContinental Park Lane scored highest for food/restaurants (a lip-smacking 97.98), while Malmaison Edinburgh and Malmaison Manchester both scored above 80 for value for money.
1 Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London 89.25
2 Four Seasons Hotel London 88.73
3 Claridge's, London 87.61
4 Four Seasons Hotel Canary Wharf, London 87.20
5 Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh 86.20
6 Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London 86.17
7 InterContinental London Park Lane 85.00
8 Malmaison Manchester 83.80
9 The Berkeley, London 83.67
10 Malmaison Edinburgh 82.89
11 The Capital, Knightsbridge 82.40
12 One Aldwych, London 82.00
13 The Ritz London 81.09
14 The Savoy, London 79.76
15 The Connaught, London 78.40
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