Conde Nast Traveler today announced the results of its 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards, ranking the best cities, hotels, cruise lines, airlines, and resorts worldwide. 32,633 readers participated in this year’s survey. The awards were announced at a gala ceremony in New York, and the results will be published in the November issue of Conde Nast Traveler.

Charleston, SC sneaked into the 2nd spot on the list of top cities, ahead of New York which was downgraded to the 3rd spot. San Francisco remains at the top of the heap for U.S. cities, and came in 2nd in the world, behind Sydney.

The Peninsula, Chicago took the honor of being crowned as the best hotel in the United States, bar none.

“We are so proud to have been recognized with such high esteem by our guests,” said Maria Razumich Zec, General Manager of The Peninsula Chicago. “The bar for luxury hotels continues to be set higher every year, and we are delighted that Conde Nast Traveler’s discerning readers gave The Peninsula Chicago such exceptional marks. My congratulations to our staff, whose dedication to delivering the finest guest experience has earned the hotel this accolade.”

The Peninsula was followed by the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge at Amelia Island, Florida and the Stephanie Inn at Cannon Beach, Oregon, in that order. Photo courtesy the Peninsula Hotels Group.

The top three resorts in the mainland (Hawaii has its own listing) were the Kenwood Inn & Spa, Sonoma; Inn at Thorn Hill & Spa, Jackson, NH; and the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island. The skies were dominated by Singapore Airlines which topped the list of International routes, and Virgin America which came in first for domestic routes.

In a press statement, Conde Nast Traveler Editor in Chief Klara Glowczewska said that “These awards celebrate the destinations, lodgings, and modes of transportation that manage to exceed our expectations. The Readers’ Choice Awards, with over 32,000 readers voting, are a credit to the worldly expertise of our readers — passionate travelers for whom no island is too remote, no city too challenging, and no hotel too untested.”

You can see the full list of winners in all categories here - http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/500074, and there’s even a Google maps version of the Top 100 winners.

Posted on October 17th, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News