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.