Travel + Leisure 2012 World’s Best Awards Recognizes 40 Preferred Hotel Group™ Members

July 23, 2012

CHICAGO – July 25, 2012 – The 17th Annual Travel + Leisure “World’s Best Awards” were announced this month, recognizing the finest hotels in the world as chosen by the publication’s readers. Forty Preferred Hotel Group™ members made this year’s list, distinguishing them as some of the finest and most sought-after destinations in the world.

The rankings, as voted by Travel + Leisure’s well-traveled readers, recognize the very best in travel. Readers chose not only their top hotels, but also their favorite cities, islands, airlines, and more. Characteristics such as location, service, food, and facilities are all taken into consideration when creating the directory, which has become a world-renowned mark of excellence for international hotels and resorts. The “Hall of Fame,” a new recognition this year, highlighted 97 winners that have been on the list for a solid decade.

“We are proud to have so many of our branded hotels around the world represented in the 2012 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. These acknowledgments are a testament to our hotel partners’ ongoing dedication to offering consumers a high level of service, quality and luxury,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, president, Preferred Hotel Group.

Within “THE TOP 100 HOTELS,” 11 Preferred Hotel Group members were honored:
All are members of Preferred Hotels® & Resorts except where otherwise noted.

#16 The Lodge at Kuari Cliffs, North Island, New Zealand (Preferred Golf™ member)
#30 The Sebastian-Vail, Vail, Colorado, USA
#43 The Peninsula, Chicago, Illinois, USA
#45 Palazzo Sasso, Amalfi Coast/Ravello, Italy, USA
#60 Ocean House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island, USA
#74 The Hermitage Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
#84 Wequassett Resort & Golf Club, Chatham, Massachusetts, USA
#85 Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California, USA (Preferred Boutique™)
#87 Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort at Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii, USA
#88 Trump International Hotel & Tower, New York, New York, USA
#93 Fifteen Beacon, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Of the 40 selected Preferred Hotel Group members, seven were included on the “Hall of Fame” list; 15 were listed in the top ten of their category. Below is the complete list of all Preferred Hotel Group members honored.

CONTINENTAL U.S. & CANADA

RESORTS (40 ROOMS OR MORE)

#2 The Sebastian-Vail, Vail, Colorado
#4 Ocean House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island
#9 Wequassett Resort & Golf Club, Chatham, Massachusetts
#11 The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
#12 The Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, Oregon (also #1 Spa in U.S.) (Preferred Boutique™)
#13 Stein Eriksen Lodge, Park City, Utah
#20 The Lodge at Pebble Beach™, Pebble Beach, California (HALL OF FAME)
#22 The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado
#25 Montage Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, California
#27 Old Edwards Inn & Spa, Highlands, North Carolina (Preferred Boutique™)
#36 The Little Nell, Aspen, Colorado (HALL OF FAME)
#42 The Inn at Spanish Bay™, Pebble Beach, California (HALL OF FAME)
#44 Inn by the Sea, Elizabeth, Maine (Preferred Boutique™)
#46 Montage Deer Valley, Park City, Utah
#48 The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
#49 Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona

INNS (FEWER THAN 40 ROOMS)

#5 Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California (HALL OF FAME) (Preferred Boutique™)

SMALL CITY HOTELS (FEWER THAN 100 ROOMS)

#3 Fifteen Beacon, Boston, Massachusetts (Preferred Boutique™)

LARGE CITY HOTELS (100 ROOMS OR MORE)

#3 The Peninsula, Chicago, Illinois (HALL OF FAME)
#4 The Hermitage Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee
#5 Trump International Hotel and Tower, New York, New York
#23 Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts
#24 Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, California
#29 Trump International Hotel & Tower™, Chicago, Illinois
#32 Hotel 1000, Seattle, Washington
#46 The Heathman Hotel, Portland, Oregon
#48 Windsor Court Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana (HALL OF FAME)

HAWAII RESORTS

#2 Ko’a Kea Hotel & Resort at Poipu Beach, Kuaui
#6 The Kahala Hotel & Resort, Honolulu, Oahu (HALL OF FAME)
#10 Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, Big Island (HALL OF FAME)
#14 Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Kohala Coast

MEXICO CITY HOTELS

#3 Camino Real Club & Suites, Mexico City

CANADA CITY HOTELS

#5 Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria, British Columbia

EUROPE RESORTS

#2 Palazzo Sasso, Amalfi Coast/Ravello, Italy
#8 Dromoland Castle Hotel, County Clare, Ireland

SMALL CITY HOTELS

#3 The Lanesborough, London, UK

NEW ZEALAND TOP LODGES AND RESORTS

#2 The Lodge at Kuari Cliffs, North Island, New Zealand (Preferred Golf member)

ASIA CITY HOTELS

#16 The Shilla Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
#25 The Leela Palace Bangalore, Bangalore, India
#29 The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Singapore

For a complete listing of the World’s Best Awards or to learn about the methodology of the survey, please visit www.travelandleisure.com.

About Preferred Hotel Group™
With a global reach extending into more than 85 countries, Preferred Hotel Group represents more than 650 of the finest hotels, resorts, and serviced residences in the world. Preferred Hotel Group’s brands include Preferred Hotels® & Resorts, Preferred Boutique™, Summit Hotels & Resorts™, Sterling Hotels™, Sterling Design, and Summit™ Serviced Residences. Travelers gain valuable benefits through branded programs that include Preferred Residences™, Preferred Golf, I Prefer™ global guest benefit program, and Preferred Family, a collection of hotels and resorts certified to provide a rich experience for travelers of all ages. For more information, visit us on the web at PreferredHotelGroup.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACTS
NORTH AMERICA
Maria Gemskie
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Preferred Hotel Group
Tel: +1 312 542 9271
mgemskie@preferredhotelgroup.com

Nubia DuVall Wilson
Laura Davidson Public Relations
Tel: +1 212 696 0660
nubia@ldpr.com

EMEA
Aysem Monaco
Senior Manager, Public Relations – EMEA
Preferred Hotel Group
Tel: +44 20 7647 5184
amonaco@preferredhotelgroup.com

ASIA PACIFIC
Peggy Yip
Director, Marketing – Asia Pacific
Preferred Hotel Group
Tel: +852 2511 8758
pyip@preferredhotelgroup.com

PRESS ARCHIVES

VIEW: