For nearly 20 years, Travel + Leisure magazine has shared hotel and resort ‘fan favorites.’ Readers are asked to evaluate value, food, service, rooms and location. But when Travel + Leisure issues its ‘World’s Best’ Awards , it’s not just stats, it’s trends. The magazine shares insight into what places are seeing an increase in tourism; monitoring natural changes in vacation preferences as a community of vacationers.
We’ll take a quick peek at the top ten hotel destinations on the list this year, according to Travel + Leisure , but first, USA Today has graciously outlined ten of the top mistakes travelers make when booking.
Some of the items on the list were added by ‘Captain Obvious’ — still, most certainly, with good reason; tips like ‘don’t book your stay at the wrong hotel.’ Good tip.
But there are some things on the list that are really good tips for everyone, like, how ‘not using a credit card’ can burn you. As USA Today points out, there are numerous benefits to using a credit card. The perks, for starters; airline miles, free night stays, cash-back bonuses, etc…
But saving yourself a vacation hassle or headache is the big reason. Debit cards can sting when the hotel requires an incidental deposit that doesn’t get refunded until weeks after your stay. That $50 or $100 would have really been helpful on vacation. Credit cards protect you and the place accommodating you.
Another one of the top 10 worst mistakes people make while booking hotels is ‘not checking reviews.’ The article recommends that you “Take anything a hotel says about itself with a grain of salt (or sand).” All hotels are going to do their best to make their facility seem perfect. Think a hotel hasn’t used Photoshop before? Do your research — don’t book it based on an “amazing deal” the hotel offers.
Fortunately, Travel + Leisure has saved you some time by lining up this Top Ten list of the World’s Best Hotels .
Any one of these is going to amount to the World’s Best Vacation for you; all ten hotels on the list garnered a score of at least 95 out of 100. Here are the top five:
1. Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana No kids allowed here! Enjoy the mountains and an endless amount of activities available, from hiking to wine tasting to helicopter tours of Yellowstone National Park.
2. Nayara Springs in La Fortuna, Costa Rica 16 villas, a plunge pool powered by spring waters from your neighbor, Arenal Volcano; this is a real jungle retreat.
3. Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest Formerly an apartment complex, this 179-room hotel is fantastic following a $125 million renovation and restoration.
4. Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia 21 suites sporting limestone floors and an outdoor terrace. Fish Hanson Bay and let Chef Tim Bourke turn your catch into your next meal.
5. Ocean House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island This mid-1800s property was renovated at a price of about $146 million, providing 49 guest rooms and 22 private villas with modern luxury.
Get the complete list here and be sure to squeeze in a little extra vacation. “Back-to-school” is already here !
[Image: trueleaftravel.com]
