(It looks like we took the top spot for "large" cruise ships and the then third place for "small" cruise ships for the PG?)

Conde Nast Traveler Announces Results of the 19th Annual Readers' Choice Awards


NEW YORK, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The November 2006 issue of Conde Nast
Traveler celebrates the 19th annual Readers' Choice Awards. The results are
derived from the largest independent poll of consumers' preferences, the
Readers' Choice Survey, second in size only to the U.S. Census. With over
21,000 travelers voting this year, the lists show an even greater global
variety and depth.
This year many perennial favorites hold on to their top spots:

* Singapore Airlines is again the #1 International Route Airline, and has
led this category for 18 of the past 19 years (in 1994 Swissair took the
top spot) and remains the only carrier ever to earn an overall score
above 90.0.

* San Francisco, the #1 U.S. City, has also been #1 for 18 of the past 19
years (in 1992 Santa Fe won the honor).
But there are some surprises this year, including the Maldives, which
is the first island since the inception of the Islands category 13 years
ago to beat Maui for the #1 Island ranking. Buckland Manor in the
Cotswolds, England, gained the distinction this year for being the
highest-scoring hotel in Readers' Choice history by receiving perfect
scores for Rooms, Service, Food, and Location. Another property to receive
100s in Rooms, Service, Location, and Design in the Hotels category was
Budapest's Four Seasons Gresham Palace.
Also of note is Regent Seven Seas (formerly Radisson Seven Seas), the
#1 Large Ship Cruise Line that edges ahead of the nine-time winner and
close contender Crystal Cruises. Many Asian properties scored well into the
90's in the Resorts category, led by the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
with a near-perfect 99.6, placing the resort as #1 on the overall Top 100
list this year.
Below are results for the top three winners in each category. The
complete results of the awards can be found in the November issue, on
newsstands October 24th. The Readers Choice Awards gala took place on
Monday, October 16th in New York City at the American Museum of Natural
History. The program titled Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards will
premiere on the Travel Channel on Wednesday, October 25th at 8 PM (ET/PT).
Top Cities - United States:
1. San Francisco, CA
2. Santa Fe, NM
3. New York, NY

Top Cities - Asia:
1. Bangkok, Thailand
2. Hong Kong
3. Chiang Mai, Thailand

Top Cities - Europe:
1. Florence, Italy
2. Rome, Italy
3. Venice, Italy

Top Cities - Africa/Middle East:
1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Marrakech, Morocco

Top Cities - Pacific Rim:
1. Sydney, Australia
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Queenstown, New Zealand

Top Cities - The Americas:
1. Vancouver, British Columbia
2. Buenos Aires, Argentina
3. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Top Islands - Europe:
1. Mykonos & the Cyclades, Greece
2. Madeira, Portugal
3. Capri, Italy

Top Islands - Pacific Rim:
1. Maui, Hawaii
2. Kauai, Hawaii
3. Moorea, French Polynesia

Top Islands - Caribbean/Atlantic:
1. Bermuda
2. St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
3. British Virgin Islands

Top Islands - North America:
1. Vancouver Island, Canada
2. Kiawah, South Carolina
3. Nantucket, Massachusetts

Top Islands - Asia:
1. Maldives
2. Bali, Indonesia
3. Phuket, Thailand

Top International Route Airlines:
1. Singapore Airlines
2. Emirates
3. Cathay Pacific

Top Domestic Route Airlines:
1. JetBlue
2. Midwest
3. Hawaiian

Top Car Rental Agencies:
1. Hertz
2. Renault Eurodrive
3. Avis

Top Large Ship Cruise Lines:
1. Regent Seven Seas
2. Crystal Cruises
3. Disney

Top Small Ship Cruise Lines:
1. SeaDream Yacht Club
2. Grand Circle Cruise Line
3. Regent Seven Seas

Top Resorts - Africa:
1. Singita - Ebony & Boulders Lodges
2. Chief's Camp, Botswana
3. Chobe Chilwero, Botswana

Top Resorts - Canada:
1. Pan Pacific Mountainside, Whistler
2. Four Seasons, Whistler
3. Westin Resort, Whistler

Top Resorts - Atlantic:
1. One&Only Ocean Club, Bahamas
2. The Reefs, Bermuda
3. Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos

Top Resorts - Central/South America:
1. Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo
2. Explora en Patagonia, Chile
3. Llao Llao Hotel & Resort, Argentina

Top Resorts - Asia:
1. Four Seasons Bali at Sayan
2. Four Seasons, Chiang Mai, Thailand

3. Banyan Tree, Phuket, Thailand

Top Resorts - Mexico:
1. La Casa Que Canta, Zihuatanejo
2. Royal Hideaway Playacar, Riviera Maya
3. JW Marriott, Cancun

Top Resorts - Pacific Rim:
1. Four Seasons Lodge at Koele, Lanai
2. Four Seasons Hualalai, Big Island
3. Voyages Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef

Top Resorts - Europe:
1. Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland
2. Westin Turnberry Resort, Scotland
3. Mount Juliet Conrad, Co. Kilkenny

Top Resorts - Caribbean:
1. Malliouhana Hotel, Anguilla
2. Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
3. Sandy Lane, Barbados

Top Resorts - United States:
1. Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, AZ
2. Inn at Palmetto Bluff, SC
3. Inn at Spanish Bay, CA

Top Hotels - Asia:
1. Fullerton Hotel, Singapore
2. Amandari, Bali
3. The Peninsula, Bangkok

Top Hotels - Caribbean/Atlantic:
1. Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France
2. Ladera, St. Lucia
3. Waterloo House, Bermuda

Top Hotels - Pacific Rim:
1. Rialto Hotel on Collins, Melbourne
2. Park Hyatt, Sydney
3. Lilianfels Blue Mountains, Australia

Top Hotels - Africa:
1. Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza
2. Cape Grace, Cape Town
3. Sofitel Palais Jamai, Fez

Top Hotels - Europe:
1. Four Seasons Gresham Palace
2. Chateau Les Crayeres, Reims
3. Four Seasons George V, Paris

Top Hotels - South America:
1. Hotel Monasterio, Cuzco, Peru
2. Four Seasons, Buenos Aires
3. Swissotel, Quito, Ecuador

Top Hotels - United States:
1. The Peninsula, Chicago, IL
2. Watermark Hotel, San Antonio, TX
3. St. Regis, New York, NY

Top Hotels - Canada:
1. Auberge du Vieux-Port, Montreal
2. Hotel Dominion 1912, Quebec City
3. Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City

Top Hotels - British Isles:
1. Buckland Manor, The Cotswolds
2. Gidleigh Park, Devon
3. Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

Top Hotels - Central America/Mexico:
1. JW Marriott, Mexico City
2. Esperanza, Cabo San Lucas
3. Casa Santo Domingo, Guatemala

Top Hotels - Middle East:
1. Grand Hyatt, Amman
2. King David, Jerusalem
3. David Citadel, Jerusalem
The November issue of Conde Nast Traveler is available on newsstands on
October 24th.
Unlike many other travel publications, Conde Nast Traveler does not
accept free travel and accommodations, and its correspondents, as far as
possible, travel anonymously. The result is travel the way consumers
experience it -- good and bad, with reporting that is fair and honest.
Conde Nast Traveler recently won its 6th National Magazine Award and is
still the only travel publication to have won the highest honor in magazine
publishing. Conde Nast Traveler, the 2005 Zagat Survey Best Travel
Magazine, has a circulation of over 750,000 and is published by Conde Nast
Publications, Inc.


SOURCE Conde Nast Traveler

Guess I'll go buy that one and read it in more detail. Thanks Karen. Yay for RSSC!! :app: :app:

Hooray for RSSC! And Singita as well I noticed -which after the ROAR reports wasn't surprising in the least. Time to plan some travel!

.....But we all knew that about RSSC didn't we!!!!!

I am disapointed Tokyo didn't make the asia cities list! Maybe next year after some LCTers visit there!

I think it's interesting that all three top European cities are in Italy! Just reaffirms my belief that Italy is the most magical place on earth. It's cool to be Italian! :)

I don't know anything about "Grand Circle Cruise Lines" (which came ahead of RSSC for small ship cruise lines). I also don't know much about SeaDream, but I believe they are a much different type of experience than most cruise ships, plus much more expensive, if I'm remembering right...

Cool!! Thanks Karen. We stayed at Hotel Monasterio in Cuzco, Peru and will be on the island of Maldives in February! I did a double take when I saw Hotel Fullerton...then noticed it was in Singapore! (many years ago there was a real ghetto hole in the wall hotel named Hotel Fullerton...it burned down, arson)

Who in the world is Grand Circle Cruise Line? I know that the SeaDream I and II are the former Cunard (later Seabourn) Sea Godesses.

don,

remember who took over the PG? GCT..same outfit..hard to believe huh?

http://www.gct.com

OK, I'm lost on this whole PG thing. Somebody help me out here please. I know that RSSC leased the ship and there was some talk about the lease expiring at some point. Has that already happened or does it happen sometime in the future? And what is GCT's role in all this? Do they own the ship? Are they picking up the lease? Are they subleasing the ship back to RSSC for a period of time? Also, is the PG also becoming all-inclusive like all the other RSSC ships next year?

This is confusing.

GCT owns the PG and Regent has the management contract.

I just got a brochure from Vantage in the mail today and it does say that the PG will be all-inclusive, just like the rest of the ships.

I am happy to see Regent up there at number one as I do believe this is where they belong.

Then I look at Africa. Singita is well deserved but Chiefs Camp and Chobe Chilwero --- no way. SO many places better than these two camps.

Always amazes me these award things and people do take these awards very seriously.

I agree Ngaire - people get caught up in the "ratings" I saw "3" that are dead on wrong -

Mark Conroy missed most of the first week of the still on-going President's Cruise because he was in New York (?) accepting the Conde Nast award...pretty good excuse. He joined us in Kusadasi, Turkey in time for the evening concert at Ephesus which was wonderful. Needless to say, he was quite happy.

During the open bridge period, there was a copy of the announcement that RSSC sent to their masters and crews which siad something to the effect of Crystal had this award for 9 years so we (RSSC) want to break that record.