DUBAI: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company tops the Travel + Leisure "World's Best Awards" poll with 23 Ritz-Carlton hotels featured in the celebrated roundup.
The poll, now in its ninth year, appears in the July issue of the magazine as part of its "World's Best Awards" for 2004.
International travel is on the rise according to the sophisticated readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.
Highlighted winners include The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai receiving the highest score for a Middle East property in the "World's Best Hotels: Africa and the Middle East", while the luxurious Ritz-Carlton, Bali Resort & Spa and The Ritz-Carlton, Millennium Singapore were voted No. 1 and No. 3 respectively in the "Top 15 for $250 or Less" category.
The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka garnered the No. 1 position in Japan in the "World's Best Hotels: Asia" category.
In the "15 to Watch" category Bvlgari Hotel, Milan (a partnership with The Ritz-Carlton) and The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach were both featured. Domestically, 13 Ritz-Carlton hotels were selected in the "World's Best Hotels: US, Canada and Hawaii" and include: Amelia Island, Florida, Atlanta Buckhead, Cleveland, Ohio, Kapalua Maui, Hawaii, Laguna Nigel, Naples and Naples Golf Resort, New York City, Battery Park and Central Park South, Reynolds Plantation, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. and Georgetown.
"We are delighted by the results of this poll and very proud to be included in this prestigious list highlighting the best hotels, destinations and transportation around the globe," said Simon Cooper, president and chief operating office of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
This year's results were based on 425,105 reader evaluations. These rankings identify the cream of the crop around the globe: the top hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, outfitters, airlines, and car-rental agencies.
A questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure, in association with Harris Interactive, was made available to Travel + Leisure subscribers at www.tlworldsbest.com from January 23, 2004, through March 22, 2004.
© The Peninsula 2004
