Travel website Expedia has released its annual list of top 500 hotels and resorts around the world based on experience and value to determine the best value for guests. More than 520,000 reviews were submitted by guests from all over the globe last year.
Top 10 hotels in the world
1. Cedarbrook Lodge, Seattle, US
2. iQ Hotel Roma, Rome
3. Hotel Antiche Figure, Venice
4. Hotel Berchielli, Florence
5. Hotel Monterey Kyoto, Japan
6. The Nines, Portland, US
7. Les Terres M Barka, Morocco
8. K&K Hotel Central, Prague
9. Hotel Teatro, Denver, US
10. Sofitel New York, US
A few things are interesting to note.
Given the recent Arabian Travel Awards, it’s interesting to see what you, the actual people who stay in the hotels, think. However, this list is about the best hotels that won’t cost a fortune…so, is it in fact surprising that very few made it to the list, given that much of the Middle East represents greed, indulgence and materialistic values..?
In the Middle East region…
1. Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE
2. Moevenpick Resort and Spa Dead Sea, Swaimeh, Jordan,
3. Sadot Hotel, Assaf HaRofeh, Israel
4. Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, UAE
Only four hotels in the Middle East made it into the top 500 and none of them even figured in the top 100. The complete list of all 500 can be found here.
TripAdvisor also released its 2011 Travellers’ Choice Destination Awards this week – and Cape Town has been crowned the top getaway hotspot in the world.
The awards revealed three lists: The UK’s Top 25 Destinations, Europe’s Top Ten Destinations, and the World’s Top Ten Destinations.
And it’s good news for London as the capital prepares for the 2012 Olympics – travellers from across the globe have crowned it Britain’s best destination – despite the UK’s recent panning from Lonely Planet. The English capital also placed well in the World and European categories – coming eighth and third respectively – but was beaten by European rivals Paris and Rome.
World’s top 10 destinations:
1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Machu Picchu, Peru
4. Paris, France
5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6. New York City, US
7. Rome, Italy
8. London, UK
9. Barcelona, Spain
10. Hong Kong
Edinburgh and Bath came in second and third respectively in the UK category, while Cape Town took the top spot overall, followed by Sydney and Peru’s Machu Picchu. Paris and Rome were winner and runner-up in the European category.
TripAdvisor spokesperson, Emma O’Boyle, said: “Cape Town is clearly the destination to beat. With beautiful scenery, great wine and gorgeous weather, it’s easy to see why Cape Town, which also played host to last year’s World Cup, has topped this year’s list.”
The complete list can be found here.
Scott Snowden
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