Fodor's Travel Reveals the 2012 Fodor's 100 Hotel Award Winners

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 14, 2012

Fodor’s Travel, the leading name in travel guides for 76 years, today announces the 2012 Fodor’s 100 Hotel Awards winners. Chosen by the experts at Fodor’s Travel, this second-annual list features an entirely new selection of hotels across nine categories that represent the year’s global hospitality trends.

“Our Fodor’s editors and contributors are constantly evaluating hotels throughout the year, and the Fodor’s 100 represent our top picks for travelers right now,” explained Arabella Bowen, Fodor’s Travel executive editorial director. “We look for properties with great amenities and stellar service that offer a unique experience to guests. Every traveler will find a dream hotel on this list, no matter what their travel personality happens to be.”

While the U.S. took top honors with 24 hotels in 2012, farther-flung locales like Botswana, India, Tasmania, and Vietnam are also represented in this year’s Fodor’s 100. The list features properties of all kinds, from flagships like the W Paris-Opéra and the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, to independents like Washington School House and Boucan by Hotel Chocolat.

SELECTION PROCESS
Each year, Fodor’s Travel invites their roster of 700 global contributors to nominate the best hotels in their destinations. For the 2012 list, Fodor’s senior editorial team deliberated on over 4,000 nominations, first, looking for properties that were already Fodor’s Choice picks (Fodor’s highest honor), then consulting independent travel reviews and conducting in-person site visits to further narrow down their top choices.

EXPERT QUALIFICATIONS
Fodor’s Travel publishes up to 85 guidebooks each year, with local correspondents covering over 7,500 destinations and 17,000-plus hotels around the globe. This expert travel advice is available in multiple formats, from guidebooks and eBooks to mobile apps and the Fodors.com website. Fodor’s core editorial team also travels extensively to research destinations and identify top places to stay, visiting 600 hotels in the past 12 months alone.

THE FODOR’S 2012 100 HOTEL AWARD WINNERS

•     New & Noteworthy — The world’s most noteworthy new hotels

Winners include: Conservatorium Hotel (The Netherlands); The NoMad Hotel (United States); Armani Hotel Milano (Italy)

•     Global Icon — Top-of-mind, landmark hotels that are part of a destination’s fabric

Winners include: Mount Nelson Hotel (South Africa); Mandarin Oriental Bangkok (Thailand); Bellagio (United States)

•     Trendsetter — Hotels that are changing the hospitality landscape

Winners include: The Out NYC (United States); Mashpi Lodge (Ecuador); Casa Calma (Argentina)

•     Trip of a Lifetime—Destination hotels that offer a complete escape

Winners include: Southern Ocean Lodge (Australia); Amansara (Cambodia); Raffles Praslin Seychelles (Seychelles)

•     Local Experience — Go-to hotels for an authentic sense of place

Winners include: Dorset Square Hotel (England); Alto Atacama (Chile); Aenaon Villas (Greece)

•     City Chic — Contemporary city hotels with great style

Winners include: Waldorf Astoria Chicago (United States); Istanbul Edition (Turkey); Hotel Topazz (Austria)

•     Royal Pedigree — Hotels with a royal past

Winners include: Palacio Nazarenas (Peru); Dromoland Castle (Ireland); Taj Lake Palace (India)

•     Fun for All Ages —Hotels that offer terrific experiences for kids and adults alike

Winners include: Fairmont Mayakoba Riviera Maya(Mexico); Ocean House (United States); Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa (Turks & Caicos)

•     Best All-Inclusive —Worry-free resorts where everything’s included in the rate

Winners include: The BodyHoliday (St. Lucia); Saffire Freycinet (Tasmania); Viceroy Riviera Maya (Mexico)

The complete list of this year’s Fodor’s 100 Hotel Award winners is available online at http://www.fodors.com/hotel-awards/2012 and as a free eBook.

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About Fodor’s Travel
Fodor’s Travel, a division of Random House, Inc., is one of the world’s leading providers of travel information. Covering over 7,500 worldwide destinations, Fodor’s guidebooks and website, Fodors.com, have provided the most up-to-date, accurate information for travelers since 1936. Written by a vast team of global correspondents, Fodor’s provides travelers with engagingly written, locally reported, and absolutely indispensable travel guidance. Visit http://www.Fodors.com.