DESTINATIONS
Islands
We asked you to rate your favourite islands on 10 criteria and while you thought exotic Zanzibar has the best beaches and lush Seychellesthe most appealing scenery, the Greek Islands fended off the competition by scoring above on all 10 criteria. If you are looking for luxury-on-a-budget and a friendly welcome, head for Phuket (you scored it highly for value for money and for people/hospitality). Long-time favouriteBalicame up trumps for variety of attractions and Caribbean stalwart Barbados continues to seduce you with its climate.
1 Greek Islands
2 Maldives
3 Bali
4 Barbados
5 Mauritius
6 Balearic Islands
7 Zanzibar
8 St Lucia
9 Seychelles
10 Phuket
11 Sicily
12 Antigua
13 Sardinia
14 Cuba
15 Fiji
16 Corsica
17 Madeira
18 Bahamas
19 Malta
20 Great Barrier Reef
Countries
You like everything about this year's winner, Italy, but are seriously in love with its culture and food/restaurants. Elsewhere, you are convinced SouthAfrica has the most glorious scenery in the world and you are guaranteed the world's warmest welcome in India, while you decided that Turkey outdoes the competition for its value for money.
1 Italy
2 USA
3 Turkey
4 Thailand
5 France
6 India
7 Australia
8 South Africa
9 New Zealand
10 Greece
11 Spain
12 Canada
13 Malaysia
14 Brazil
15 Mexico
16 Argentina
17 Vietnam
18 Croatia
19 Cambodia
20 Portugal
Overseas cities
If it's value for money you are after (and who isn't these days?), head for Buenos Aires: you awarded it highly on that criterion. But money doesn't always make the world go round: this year's winner, New York, may be hard on your bank balance but it's easy to get around (top marks for user friendliness), offers a great range of accommodation and sure is fun . Elsewhere, Vancouver is your best bet for a peaceful holiday (with a high mark for safety), Sydney is well groomed (awarded for cleanliness) and Rome is the centre of civilisation (you liked its culture). And where will you find the best food/restaurants? Well, Cape Town, followed by San Francisco.
1 New York
2 Paris
3 Barcelona
4 Rome
5 Sydney
6 Venice
7 Cape Town
8 San Francisco
9 Florence
10 Istanbul
11 Buenos Aires
12 Berlin
13 Prague
14 Amsterdam
15 Vancouver
16 Marrakech
17 Rio de Janeiro
18 Shanghai
19 Copenhagen
20 Madrid
UK cities
Why is London your favourite British city? It has the best nightlife/entertainment for a start, the most appetising food/restaurants, and impressive museums and theatres. It is also ahead of the competition for range of accommodation ( followed by Manchester). Liverpool is the friendliest city, with a top-ranking for people/hospitality, and provides the best value for money, while Bath and York are the cleanest. Edinburgh came out on top for culture and Oxford's dreaming spires helped crown it the UK's most beautiful city, with a top score for aesthetics/architecture.
1 London
2 Edinburgh
3 Bath
4 Liverpool
5 York
6 Brighton
7 Manchester
8 Oxford
9 Glasgow
10 Cambridge
11 Bristol
12 Newcastle
13 Cardiff
14 Leeds
15 Chester
OVERSEAS LEISURE
HOTELS
The Indian Ocean
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa not only won the award for best hotel in the Middle East, Africa & the Indian Ocean, but scored so highly that it made the number one spot in our 'best of the best' Top 100. You raved about absolutely everything, but singled out its family-friendliness and the quality of its food/restaurants. Elsewhere, you reckon North Island in Seychelles deserved a royal ace for environmental friendliness, and Singita Grumeti Reserves in Tanzania cannot be bettered for its spectacular location bordering the Serengeti.
1 Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa
2 North Island, Seychelles
3 Singita Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania
4 Vamizi Island, Mozambique
5 Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Maldives
6 Jack's Camp, Botswana
7 Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek, South Africa
8 Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco
9 One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives
10 Singita Sabi Sand, South Africa
11 The Oberoi, Mauritius
12 Mena House Oberoi, Cairo
13 Lewa Safari Camp, Kenya
14 Frégate Island Private, Seychelles
15 Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania
16 Londolozi Private Game Reserve, South Africa
17 Mnemba Island Lodge, Tanzania
18 Ellerman House, Cape Town, South Africa
19 The Chedi Muscat, Oman
20 Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai
Australasia & the South Pacific
As for Australasia and the South Pacific, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort in French Polynesia achieved sufficiently high scores across the board to propel it into first place, helped by its location on Bora Bora's famous blue lagoon. Elsewhere, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia's Blue Mountains was selected for value for money, and Freycinet Lodge in Tasmania for its environmental friendliness.
1 InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, French Polynesia
2 Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
3 Freycinet Lodge, Tasmania, Australia
4 Park Hyatt Sydney
5 Qualia, Hamilton Island, Australia
6 Longitude 131˚, Uluru, Australia
7 Blanket Bay, Glenorchy, New Zealand
8 Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand
9 Saffire Freycinet, Tasmania, Australia
10 Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia
11 Hayman, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
12 The Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart, Tasmania
13 The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
14 Bamurru Plains, Northern Territory, Australia
15 Lilianfels Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
16 Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island, Australia
17 Sal Salis, Ningaloo Reef,Western Australia
18 Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand
19 Wharekauhau Lodge and Country Estate, Wairarapa, New Zealand
20 Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Asia & the Indian Subcontinent
In Asia & the Indian Subcontinent, you were impressed with Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, notably for its standard/comfort of accommodation and service/staff. You felt TheOberoi Amarvilas in Agra has the most impressive ambience/decor and the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai in Thailand the highest standard/comfort of accommodation.
1 Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India
2 The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India
3 Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand
4 Amanpulo, Philippines
5 The Oberoi, Lombok, Indonesia
6 Hôtel de la Paix, Siem Reap, Cambodia
7 The PuLi Hotel and Spa, Shanghai
8 The Datai Langkawi, Malaysia
9 Devi Garh Palace, Udaipur, India
10 La Résidence Phou Vao, Luang Prabang, Laos
11 Amankila, Bali
12 Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, Thailand
13 Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinbalu, Malaysia
14 Anantara Phuket, Thailand
15 Samode Palace, Jaipur, India
16 The Serai, Jaisalmer, India
17 Amanpuri, Phuket, Thailand
18 Uma Paro, Bhutan
19 Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam
20 Alila Ubud, Bali
The Americas & the Caribbean
Seven of your top 20 favourite hotels in The Americas & the Caribbean are in the Caribbean, with Sandy Lane on Barbados rising to the very top thanks to consistently high scores, particularly for leisure facilities. Carlisle Bay on Antigua was chosen for family-friendliness, California's Post Ranch Inn for its cliff-top location and Cotton House on Mustique for its ambience/decor.
1 Sandy Lane, Barbados
2 Carlisle Bay, Antigua
3 Cotton House, Mustique
4 Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California
5 Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Canada
6 Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, Peru
7 Hôtel Saint-Barth Isle de France, St Barts
8 Viceroy Anguilla, Caribbean
9 The Wickaninnish Inn, British Columbia, Canada
10 Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos
11 One&Only Ocean Club, Bahamas
12 Saratoga Hotel, Havana, Cuba
13 Montpelier Plantation Resort, Nevis
14 Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
15 Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, USA
16 Explora en Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico, Chile
17 Fasano Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
18 The Carlyle, New York
19 Soho Beach House, Miami
20 Hotel Monasterio, Cusco, Peru
Europe, Asia Minor & the Russian Federation
In Europe, Asia Minor & the Russian Federation, you thought this year's winner, Romanos in Greece, ticked all the boxes for family-friendliness and environmental friendliness, but the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Bosphorus holds the title for best leisure facilities.
1 Romanos, Costa Navarino, Greece
2 Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Bosphorus
3 Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Cap d'Antibes, France
4 Le Château de la Chèvre d'Or, Eze, France
5 Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
6 Aquapura, Douro Valley, Portugal
7 Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
8 Hotel Imperial, Vienna
9 Capri Palace Hotel& Spa,Italy
10 Aman Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
11 Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg
12 Hôtel de la Cite, Carcassonne, France
13 Hotel Splendido, Portofino, Italy
14 Villa d'Este, Lake Como, Italy
15 Grace Santorini, Greece
16 Hotel Cipriani, Venice
17 Hôtel Pavillon de la Reine, Paris
18 Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, Lake Garda, Italy
19 Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole, Italy
20 Augustine Hotel Prague, Czech Republic
UK LEISURE HOTELS
This year's winner, Hotel Tresanton in Cornwall, got top marks for location and family friendliness. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons beat the competition for food/restaurants and runner-up Babington House got your vote for ambience/decor. Elsewhere, The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland was well ahead of the game for leisure facilities and service/staff.
1 Hotel Tresanton, Cornwall
2 Babington House, Somerset
3 Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire
4 The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire
5 Chewton Glen, Hampshire
6 Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
7 Whatley Manor, Wiltshire
8 Barnsley House, Gloucestershire
9 Coworth Park, Berkshire
10 The Grove, Hertfordshire
11 Claridge's, London
12 The Soho Hotel, London
13 The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath
14 Lime Wood Hotel, Hampshire
15 Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
16 The Goring, London
17 Gidleigh Park Hotel, Devon
18 Charlotte Street Hotel, London
19 Cliveden, Berkshire
20 Covent Garden Hotel, London
OVERSEAS BUSINESS HOTELS
Business is always a pleasure at The Upper House in Hong Kong, which attracted high scores on all 10 criteria, with top marks for ambience/decor and standard/comfort of accommodation. You reckon the service/staff at The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai cannot be bettered and the food/restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel George V deserved top billing, but the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin wins on business services/systems.
The Indian Ocean
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa not only won the award for best hotel in the Middle East, Africa & the Indian Ocean, but scored so highly that it made the number one spot in our 'best of the best' Top 100. You raved about absolutely everything, but singled out its family-friendliness and the quality of its food/restaurants. Elsewhere, you reckon North Island in Seychelles deserved a royal ace for environmental friendliness, and Singita Grumeti Reserves in Tanzania cannot be bettered for its spectacular location bordering the Serengeti.
1 Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa
2 North Island, Seychelles
3 Singita Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania
4 Vamizi Island, Mozambique
5 Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Maldives
6 Jack's Camp, Botswana
7 Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek, South Africa
8 Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco
9 One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives
10 Singita Sabi Sand, South Africa
11 The Oberoi, Mauritius
12 Mena House Oberoi, Cairo
13 Lewa Safari Camp, Kenya
14 Frégate Island Private, Seychelles
15 Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania
16 Londolozi Private Game Reserve, South Africa
17 Mnemba Island Lodge, Tanzania
18 Ellerman House, Cape Town, South Africa
19 The Chedi Muscat, Oman
20 Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai
Australasia & the South Pacific
As for Australasia and the South Pacific, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort in French Polynesia achieved sufficiently high scores across the board to propel it into first place, helped by its location on Bora Bora's famous blue lagoon. Elsewhere, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia's Blue Mountains was selected for value for money, and Freycinet Lodge in Tasmania for its environmental friendliness.
1 InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, French Polynesia
2 Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
3 Freycinet Lodge, Tasmania, Australia
4 Park Hyatt Sydney
5 Qualia, Hamilton Island, Australia
6 Longitude 131˚, Uluru, Australia
7 Blanket Bay, Glenorchy, New Zealand
8 Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand
9 Saffire Freycinet, Tasmania, Australia
10 Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia
11 Hayman, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
12 The Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart, Tasmania
13 The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
14 Bamurru Plains, Northern Territory, Australia
15 Lilianfels Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
16 Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island, Australia
17 Sal Salis, Ningaloo Reef,Western Australia
18 Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand
19 Wharekauhau Lodge and Country Estate, Wairarapa, New Zealand
20 Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Asia & the Indian Subcontinent
In Asia & the Indian Subcontinent, you were impressed with Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, notably for its standard/comfort of accommodation and service/staff. You felt TheOberoi Amarvilas in Agra has the most impressive ambience/decor and the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai in Thailand the highest standard/comfort of accommodation.
1 Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India
2 The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India
3 Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand
4 Amanpulo, Philippines
5 The Oberoi, Lombok, Indonesia
6 Hôtel de la Paix, Siem Reap, Cambodia
7 The PuLi Hotel and Spa, Shanghai
8 The Datai Langkawi, Malaysia
9 Devi Garh Palace, Udaipur, India
10 La Résidence Phou Vao, Luang Prabang, Laos
11 Amankila, Bali
12 Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, Thailand
13 Shangri-La's Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinbalu, Malaysia
14 Anantara Phuket, Thailand
15 Samode Palace, Jaipur, India
16 The Serai, Jaisalmer, India
17 Amanpuri, Phuket, Thailand
18 Uma Paro, Bhutan
19 Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam
20 Alila Ubud, Bali
The Americas & the Caribbean
Seven of your top 20 favourite hotels in The Americas & the Caribbean are in the Caribbean, with Sandy Lane on Barbados rising to the very top thanks to consistently high scores, particularly for leisure facilities. Carlisle Bay on Antigua was chosen for family-friendliness, California's Post Ranch Inn for its cliff-top location and Cotton House on Mustique for its ambience/decor.
1 Sandy Lane, Barbados
2 Carlisle Bay, Antigua
3 Cotton House, Mustique
4 Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California
5 Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Canada
6 Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, Peru
7 Hôtel Saint-Barth Isle de France, St Barts
8 Viceroy Anguilla, Caribbean
9 The Wickaninnish Inn, British Columbia, Canada
10 Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos
11 One&Only Ocean Club, Bahamas
12 Saratoga Hotel, Havana, Cuba
13 Montpelier Plantation Resort, Nevis
14 Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
15 Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, USA
16 Explora en Patagonia Hotel Salto Chico, Chile
17 Fasano Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
18 The Carlyle, New York
19 Soho Beach House, Miami
20 Hotel Monasterio, Cusco, Peru
Europe, Asia Minor & the Russian Federation
In Europe, Asia Minor & the Russian Federation, you thought this year's winner, Romanos in Greece, ticked all the boxes for family-friendliness and environmental friendliness, but the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Bosphorus holds the title for best leisure facilities.
1 Romanos, Costa Navarino, Greece
2 Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Bosphorus
3 Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Cap d'Antibes, France
4 Le Château de la Chèvre d'Or, Eze, France
5 Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
6 Aquapura, Douro Valley, Portugal
7 Four Seasons Hotel Firenze
8 Hotel Imperial, Vienna
9 Capri Palace Hotel& Spa,Italy
10 Aman Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
11 Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg
12 Hôtel de la Cite, Carcassonne, France
13 Hotel Splendido, Portofino, Italy
14 Villa d'Este, Lake Como, Italy
15 Grace Santorini, Greece
16 Hotel Cipriani, Venice
17 Hôtel Pavillon de la Reine, Paris
18 Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, Lake Garda, Italy
19 Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole, Italy
20 Augustine Hotel Prague, Czech Republic
UK LEISURE HOTELS
This year's winner, Hotel Tresanton in Cornwall, got top marks for location and family friendliness. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons beat the competition for food/restaurants and runner-up Babington House got your vote for ambience/decor. Elsewhere, The Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland was well ahead of the game for leisure facilities and service/staff.
1 Hotel Tresanton, Cornwall
2 Babington House, Somerset
3 Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire
4 The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire
5 Chewton Glen, Hampshire
6 Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
7 Whatley Manor, Wiltshire
8 Barnsley House, Gloucestershire
9 Coworth Park, Berkshire
10 The Grove, Hertfordshire
11 Claridge's, London
12 The Soho Hotel, London
13 The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath
14 Lime Wood Hotel, Hampshire
15 Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
16 The Goring, London
17 Gidleigh Park Hotel, Devon
18 Charlotte Street Hotel, London
19 Cliveden, Berkshire
20 Covent Garden Hotel, London
OVERSEAS BUSINESS HOTELS
Business is always a pleasure at The Upper House in Hong Kong, which attracted high scores on all 10 criteria, with top marks for ambience/decor and standard/comfort of accommodation. You reckon the service/staff at The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai cannot be bettered and the food/restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel George V deserved top billing, but the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin wins on business services/systems.
1 The Upper House, Hong
Kong
2 The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
3 Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris
4 Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
5 The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
6 Park Hyatt Tokyo
7 Raffles Hotel Singapore
8 The Peninsula Beijing
9 Four Seasons Hotel Milano
10 Cirag˘an Palace Kempinski Istanbul
11 Park Hyatt Zurich
12 Emirates Palace Hotel Abu Dhabi
13 Hotel Principe Di Savoia, Milan
14 Mandarin Oriental Hotel New York City
15 InterContinental São Paulo
16 The Address Downtown Dubai
17 The Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas and Spa, Johannesburg
18 Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
19 Conrad Brussels
20 The Sukhothai Bangkok
UK BUSINESS HOTELS
Among the top 15 business hotels in the UK, 14 are in London. The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park achieved its two highest scores for location and food/restaurants. InterContinental London Park Lane scored highest for its conference facilities and business services/systems while the Dorchester took the lead for service/staff.
1 Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
2 InterContinental London Park Lane
3 The Dorchester, London
4 Claridge's, London
5 Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
6 The Savoy, London
7 The Langham, London
8 Brown's Hotel, London
9 The Connaught, London
10 The Berkeley, London
11 The Balmoral, Edinburgh
12 The Threadneedles Hotel, London
13 W London Leicester Square
14 51 Buckingham Gate, London
15 St James's Hotel and Club, London
VILLA RENTAL COMPANIES
Your favourite villa-rental company in the world is Think Sicily, and you put some very favourable comments in its guestbook. It sealed the deal with top marks for range of villas and presentation of villas. The South African company Icon Villas scored highest for value for money and on-the-ground support while CV Travel was singled out for its welcome and information packs and Five Star Greece for its service/staff.
1 Think Sicily
2 Icon Villas
3 CV Travel
4 Five Star Greece
5 James Villa Holidays
6 Owners Direct
7 Villas of Distinction
8 Mallorca Farmhouses
9 Wimco
10 Meon Villas
2 The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai
3 Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris
4 Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
5 The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
6 Park Hyatt Tokyo
7 Raffles Hotel Singapore
8 The Peninsula Beijing
9 Four Seasons Hotel Milano
10 Cirag˘an Palace Kempinski Istanbul
11 Park Hyatt Zurich
12 Emirates Palace Hotel Abu Dhabi
13 Hotel Principe Di Savoia, Milan
14 Mandarin Oriental Hotel New York City
15 InterContinental São Paulo
16 The Address Downtown Dubai
17 The Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas and Spa, Johannesburg
18 Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
19 Conrad Brussels
20 The Sukhothai Bangkok
UK BUSINESS HOTELS
Among the top 15 business hotels in the UK, 14 are in London. The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park achieved its two highest scores for location and food/restaurants. InterContinental London Park Lane scored highest for its conference facilities and business services/systems while the Dorchester took the lead for service/staff.
1 Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
2 InterContinental London Park Lane
3 The Dorchester, London
4 Claridge's, London
5 Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane
6 The Savoy, London
7 The Langham, London
8 Brown's Hotel, London
9 The Connaught, London
10 The Berkeley, London
11 The Balmoral, Edinburgh
12 The Threadneedles Hotel, London
13 W London Leicester Square
14 51 Buckingham Gate, London
15 St James's Hotel and Club, London
VILLA RENTAL COMPANIES
Your favourite villa-rental company in the world is Think Sicily, and you put some very favourable comments in its guestbook. It sealed the deal with top marks for range of villas and presentation of villas. The South African company Icon Villas scored highest for value for money and on-the-ground support while CV Travel was singled out for its welcome and information packs and Five Star Greece for its service/staff.
1 Think Sicily
2 Icon Villas
3 CV Travel
4 Five Star Greece
5 James Villa Holidays
6 Owners Direct
7 Villas of Distinction
8 Mallorca Farmhouses
9 Wimco
10 Meon Villas
Your favourite spa in the UK is C-Side at Cowley Manor in Cheltenham: you expressed a healthy appreciation for its body treatments and facilities. The Spa at Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire performed best overall for individual approach, while the best facial treatments can be had at Calcot Spa at Calcot Manor in Gloucestershire. In London, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park provides pampering par excellence with the highest score for ambience/decor.
1 C-Side, Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
2 The Spa at Gleneagles by ESPA, Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire
3 Calcot Spa, Calcot Manor, Gloucestershire
4 Sequoia at The Grove, The Grove, Hertfordshire
5 The Spa, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
6 Aquarias Spa, Whatley Manor, Wiltshire
7 Cowshed, Babington House, Somerset
8 The Spa, Chewton Glen, Hampshire
9 The Bathhouse Spa, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath
10 The Spa, Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire
11 Herb House Spa, Lime Wood, Hampshire
12 Garden Spa, Barnsley House, Gloucestershire
13 The Serenity Spa, Seaham Hall, County Durham
14 Verbena Spa, Feversham Arms Hotel, Yorkshire
15 The Spa, Coworth Park, Berkshire
DESTINATION SPAS
For a complete workout, head for The BodyHoliday, LeSport on St Lucia, which gained top marks for exercise programmes and facilities. This year, long-time favourite Chiva-Som International Health Resort in Thailand won you over for its accommodation and service/staff, while you say the amenities/products at Ananda in the Himalayasare exceptional and the body treatments at COMO Shambhala Estateon Bali are quite simply the best in the world.
1 The BodyHoliday, LeSport, St Lucia, Caribbean
2 Chiva-Som International Health Resort, Hua Hin, Thailand
3 Blue Lagoon, Reykjavik, Iceland
4 Ananda in the Himalayas, India
5 SHA Wellness Clinic, Alicante, Spain
6 Monart, County Wexford, Ireland
7 COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali
8 Oasis Spa, LaSource Grenada, Caribbean
9 Mayr & More, Austria
10 La Maison Guerlain, Paris, France
11 Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort, Tuscany, Italy
12 Grayshott Spa Hotel, Surrey
13 Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa, Arizona, USA
14 Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa, Cork, Ireland
15 Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort, Tuscany, Italy
Spas in overseas hotels
This year's winner, the Six Senses Spa at Six Senses Samui, Thailand, captured your imagination for its individual approach and body treatments, but CHI Spa at Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa in Oman has the best cuisine and facial treatments. Elsewhere, you say the real beauty of the Six Senses Spa at Soneva Gili by Six Senses in the Maldives is its accommodation, closely followed by COMO Shambhala Retreat at Parrot Cay in the Caribbean.
1 Six Senses Spa, Six Senses Samui, Koh Samui, Thailand
2 CHI Spa, Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat, Oman
3 Six Senses Spa, Soneva Gili by Six Senses, Maldives
4 COMO Shambhala Retreat, Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos
5 Six Senses Spa, Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Maldives
6 Blue Spa, Carlisle Bay, Antigua, Caribbean
7 Cinque Mondes Spa, Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne, Switzerland
8 Six Senses Spa, Porto Elounda, Crete
9 Victoria-Jungfrau Spa, Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, Interlaken, Switzerland
10 Wellness Spa, Choupana Hills Resort & Spa, Funchal, Madeira
11 Spa Henri Chenot, L'Albereta, Lombardy, Italy
12 Kaya Kalp - The Royal Spa, ITC Mughal, Agra, India
13 ESPA, L'Andana, Tuscany, Italy
14 The Spa, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
15 The Spa, Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, Saint Jean Cap-Ferrat, France
TOUR OPERATORS
Your favourite tour operator is ITC Classics, which you think deserved a top-ranking mark for reliability and also for range of accommodation. Otherwise, you think Carrier is best for flexibility of arrangements, Kuoni has the widest variety of destinations offered and Seasons has the best service/staff. In the specialist tour operator category, Scott Dunn came out on top by scoring consistently on all seven criteria, with top-drawer scores for reliability and service/staff. You decided Cazenove & Loyd deserved recognition for first-hand knowledge of destination and this year's runner-up, Greaves Travel, could not be bettered for that all-important level of expertise.
1 ITC Classics
2 Carrier
3 Kuoni
4 Seasons
5 Elegant Resorts
6 Cox & Kings
7 Abercrombie & Kent
8 Virgin Holidays
9 The Turquoise Holiday Company
10 The Azure Collection
11 Western & Oriental Travel
12 Sovereign Luxury Holidays
13 Thomas Cook Signature
14 Trailfinders
15 Bridge & Wickers
Specialist tour operators
1 Scott Dunn
2 Greaves Travel
3 Cazenove & Loyd
4 Citalia
5 Steppes East
6 AusTravel
7 Exodus
8 Journey Latin America
9 Okavango Tours & Safaris
10 Western & Oriental Travel Ranch America
TRAVEL WEBSITES
We asked you to nominate your favourite website used to research or book a trip. This year's winner, mrandmrssmith.com, got the gong for choice of accommodation/holidays and for image content; runner-up expedia.com was top for ease of use, and you applauded blacktomato.co.uk for its news content/topicality.
1 mrandmrssmith.com
2 expedia.co.uk
3 lastminute.com
4 i-escape.com
5 sawdays.co.uk
6 blacktomato.co.uk
7 booking.com
8 tablethotels.com
9 opodo.com
10 seat61.com
Your favourite tour operator is ITC Classics, which you think deserved a top-ranking mark for reliability and also for range of accommodation. Otherwise, you think Carrier is best for flexibility of arrangements, Kuoni has the widest variety of destinations offered and Seasons has the best service/staff. In the specialist tour operator category, Scott Dunn came out on top by scoring consistently on all seven criteria, with top-drawer scores for reliability and service/staff. You decided Cazenove & Loyd deserved recognition for first-hand knowledge of destination and this year's runner-up, Greaves Travel, could not be bettered for that all-important level of expertise.
1 ITC Classics
2 Carrier
3 Kuoni
4 Seasons
5 Elegant Resorts
6 Cox & Kings
7 Abercrombie & Kent
8 Virgin Holidays
9 The Turquoise Holiday Company
10 The Azure Collection
11 Western & Oriental Travel
12 Sovereign Luxury Holidays
13 Thomas Cook Signature
14 Trailfinders
15 Bridge & Wickers
Specialist tour operators
1 Scott Dunn
2 Greaves Travel
3 Cazenove & Loyd
4 Citalia
5 Steppes East
6 AusTravel
7 Exodus
8 Journey Latin America
9 Okavango Tours & Safaris
10 Western & Oriental Travel Ranch America
TRAVEL WEBSITES
We asked you to nominate your favourite website used to research or book a trip. This year's winner, mrandmrssmith.com, got the gong for choice of accommodation/holidays and for image content; runner-up expedia.com was top for ease of use, and you applauded blacktomato.co.uk for its news content/topicality.
1 mrandmrssmith.com
2 expedia.co.uk
3 lastminute.com
4 i-escape.com
5 sawdays.co.uk
6 blacktomato.co.uk
7 booking.com
8 tablethotels.com
9 opodo.com
10 seat61.com
TRANSPORT
AIRLINES
When you are flyingshort-haulon holiday, you prefer British Airways. You think it is ahead of the competition in no fewer than five of the 12 criteria we asked you to rate it, including range of routes and convenience of scheduling. Swiss International Air Lines came first for punctuality/efficiency and BMI for value for money.
For long-haul holidays, Virgin Atlantic wins across the board with marks for luggage handling, convenience of scheduling and punctuality/efficiency. You think Emirates provides the best in-flight entertainment and Singapore Airlines the highest standards of service/staff, while Cathay Pacific has the best loyalty reward scheme.
Your favourite airline for business trips is British Airways. Why? Well you say it has the most appetising food/catering and most comfortable lounge/pre-/post-flight facilities, although Emirates has better in-flight entertainment and Lufthansa has superior convenience of scheduling.
Of the low-costairlines, you gave this year's winner, Bmibaby, the thumbs up for range of routes and punctuality/efficiency, while EasyJet gained ground for convenience of booking, Air Asia for value for money and Jet2 for child-friendliness.
Short-haul leisure
1 British Airways
2 BMI
3 Air France
4 Swiss International Air Lines
5 KLM
6 Lufthansa
7 Aer Lingus
8 SAS Scandinavian Airlines
9 Alitalia
10 Monarch Airlines
Long-haul leisure
1 Virgin Atlantic
2 British Airways
3 Emirates
4 Singapore Airlines
5 Qantas
6 Cathay Pacific
7 Air New Zealand
8 Thai Airways
9 Air France
10 KLM
Business
1 British Airways
2 Cathay Pacific
3 Emirates
4 Lufthansa
5 Virgin Atlantic
6 Singapore Airlines
7 KLM
8 Swiss International Air Lines
9 Qantas
10 Etihad Airways
Low-cost
1 Bmibaby
2 EasyJet
3 Air Asia
4 Jet2
5 Flybe
AIRPORTS
You thinkHeathrow Terminal 5andBeijing Capital Internationalare the cleanest airports in the world, but the Norman Foster-designed Hong Kong International was handed top marks for design/layout and shopping/duty-free facilities, helping propel it into the number one spot. Elsewhere, you singled out Dubai International for its efficiency of check-in/transfers and Madrid-Barajas International for its design/layout.
1 Hong Kong International
2 Changi, Singapore
3 Heathrow Terminal 5, London
4 Dubai International
5 Madrid-Barajas International
6 Incheon International, Seoul, South Korea
7 Zürich
8 Beijing Capital International, China
9 Copenhagen
10 Vancouver International
11 Schiphol, Amsterdam
12 Kuala Lumpur International
13 Abu Dhabi International Airport
14 Frankfurt Airport
15 London Ciy Airport
CRUISE LINES
Cunard Line sailed straight to the top of the large ships category with high scores for luggage handling, food/restaurants and nightlife/entertainment, although Crystal Cruises rules the waves for environmental friendliness and facilities/activities. If you have kids, you rate P&O Cruises for child-friendliness. In the small ships category, you put Sea DreamYacht Club top in an impressive four out of 12 criteria, including ambience/ decor and standard/comfort of cabins, while Silversea Cruises won you over for facilities/activities.
Large ships
1 Cunard Line
2 Crystal Cruises
3 P&O Cruises
4 MSC Cruises
5 Holland America Line
6 Norwegian Cruise Lines
7 Regent Seven Seas Cruises
8 Royal Caribbean International
9 Celebrity Cruises
10 Princess Cruises
Small ships
1 SeaDream Yacht Club
2 Silversea Cruises
3 Star Clippers
4 Windstar Cruises
5 Swan Hellenic
6 Hurtigruten
7 Hebridean Island Cruises
8 Paul Gauguin Cruises
9 The Oberoi Zahra
10 Noble Caledonia
SPECIALIST TRAIN OPERATORS
Your favourite specialist train operator, Hiram Bingham in Peru, is right on track for standard/comfort of cabins and pre-/post-train facilities. Elsewhere, last year's winner The Blue Train in South Africa is ahead of the game for convenience of scheduling and The Old Patagonian Express was awarded the highest score for child-friendliness.
1 Hiram Bingham, Peru
2 The Maharajas' Express, India
3 Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
4 Rocky Mountaineer, Canada
5 The Blue Train, South Africa
6 The Old Patagonian Express
7 Palace on Wheels, India
8 Deccan Odyssey India
9 Rovos Rail, South Africa
10 Royal Canadian Pacific
AIRLINES
When you are flyingshort-haulon holiday, you prefer British Airways. You think it is ahead of the competition in no fewer than five of the 12 criteria we asked you to rate it, including range of routes and convenience of scheduling. Swiss International Air Lines came first for punctuality/efficiency and BMI for value for money.
For long-haul holidays, Virgin Atlantic wins across the board with marks for luggage handling, convenience of scheduling and punctuality/efficiency. You think Emirates provides the best in-flight entertainment and Singapore Airlines the highest standards of service/staff, while Cathay Pacific has the best loyalty reward scheme.
Your favourite airline for business trips is British Airways. Why? Well you say it has the most appetising food/catering and most comfortable lounge/pre-/post-flight facilities, although Emirates has better in-flight entertainment and Lufthansa has superior convenience of scheduling.
Of the low-costairlines, you gave this year's winner, Bmibaby, the thumbs up for range of routes and punctuality/efficiency, while EasyJet gained ground for convenience of booking, Air Asia for value for money and Jet2 for child-friendliness.
Short-haul leisure
1 British Airways
2 BMI
3 Air France
4 Swiss International Air Lines
5 KLM
6 Lufthansa
7 Aer Lingus
8 SAS Scandinavian Airlines
9 Alitalia
10 Monarch Airlines
Long-haul leisure
1 Virgin Atlantic
2 British Airways
3 Emirates
4 Singapore Airlines
5 Qantas
6 Cathay Pacific
7 Air New Zealand
8 Thai Airways
9 Air France
10 KLM
Business
1 British Airways
2 Cathay Pacific
3 Emirates
4 Lufthansa
5 Virgin Atlantic
6 Singapore Airlines
7 KLM
8 Swiss International Air Lines
9 Qantas
10 Etihad Airways
Low-cost
1 Bmibaby
2 EasyJet
3 Air Asia
4 Jet2
5 Flybe
AIRPORTS
You thinkHeathrow Terminal 5andBeijing Capital Internationalare the cleanest airports in the world, but the Norman Foster-designed Hong Kong International was handed top marks for design/layout and shopping/duty-free facilities, helping propel it into the number one spot. Elsewhere, you singled out Dubai International for its efficiency of check-in/transfers and Madrid-Barajas International for its design/layout.
1 Hong Kong International
2 Changi, Singapore
3 Heathrow Terminal 5, London
4 Dubai International
5 Madrid-Barajas International
6 Incheon International, Seoul, South Korea
7 Zürich
8 Beijing Capital International, China
9 Copenhagen
10 Vancouver International
11 Schiphol, Amsterdam
12 Kuala Lumpur International
13 Abu Dhabi International Airport
14 Frankfurt Airport
15 London Ciy Airport
CRUISE LINES
Cunard Line sailed straight to the top of the large ships category with high scores for luggage handling, food/restaurants and nightlife/entertainment, although Crystal Cruises rules the waves for environmental friendliness and facilities/activities. If you have kids, you rate P&O Cruises for child-friendliness. In the small ships category, you put Sea DreamYacht Club top in an impressive four out of 12 criteria, including ambience/ decor and standard/comfort of cabins, while Silversea Cruises won you over for facilities/activities.
Large ships
1 Cunard Line
2 Crystal Cruises
3 P&O Cruises
4 MSC Cruises
5 Holland America Line
6 Norwegian Cruise Lines
7 Regent Seven Seas Cruises
8 Royal Caribbean International
9 Celebrity Cruises
10 Princess Cruises
Small ships
1 SeaDream Yacht Club
2 Silversea Cruises
3 Star Clippers
4 Windstar Cruises
5 Swan Hellenic
6 Hurtigruten
7 Hebridean Island Cruises
8 Paul Gauguin Cruises
9 The Oberoi Zahra
10 Noble Caledonia
SPECIALIST TRAIN OPERATORS
Your favourite specialist train operator, Hiram Bingham in Peru, is right on track for standard/comfort of cabins and pre-/post-train facilities. Elsewhere, last year's winner The Blue Train in South Africa is ahead of the game for convenience of scheduling and The Old Patagonian Express was awarded the highest score for child-friendliness.
1 Hiram Bingham, Peru
2 The Maharajas' Express, India
3 Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
4 Rocky Mountaineer, Canada
5 The Blue Train, South Africa
6 The Old Patagonian Express
7 Palace on Wheels, India
8 Deccan Odyssey India
9 Rovos Rail, South Africa
10 Royal Canadian Pacific
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