TripAdvisor Announces Travelers’ Choice Awards

Last week we brought you the seedy underside of travel, courtesy of sister site TripAdvisor’s Dirtiest Hotels list. Today we’re switching gears to the hotels that get it right. TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards highlight the best of the best, as rated by TripAdvisor’s millions of users. The awards also dig out the best bargains, B&Bs, and all-inclusives, as well as great family hotels, spas, and more.

To start out, the bargain category caught my eye (since we’re all watching our wallets these days). Here are the top five bargain hotels in the world, per TripAdvisor:

1. Arcadia Residence; Prague, Czech Republic
2. SeaCoast Inn; Hyannis, Massachusetts
3. The Manor Coach House; Worcester, U.K.
4. Hotel Vecchio Asilo; San Gimignano, Italy
5. Secret Garden Chiang  Mai; Chiang Mai, Thailand

Closer to home, the best U.S. bargains are:

1. SeaCoast Inn; Hyannis, Massachusetts
2. La Quinta Inn & Suites Tampa North; Temple Terrace, Florida
3. Old Ranch Inn; Palm Springs, California
4. El Morocco Inn & Spa; Desert Hot Springs, California
5. The Motor Lodge; Prescott, Arizona

As for the best overall hotels in the U.S., here’s the top five:

1. Inn New York City; New York, New York
2. Elan Hotel Los Angeles; Los Angeles, California
3. The Talbott Hotel; Chicago, Illinois
4. Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Grand Hyatt DFW; Dallas, Texas

Elsewhere, The Four Seasons Hotel George V, in Paris, took top honors in Europe; the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is tops in Japan; and the BuddhaZen Hotel in Chengdu, China, is China’s best.

This is just scratching the surface of what’s included in these awards, so set aside some time to look through and see which hotels made it.

I’d love to hear about your best hotel experience, so please leave a comment below telling where you traveled and why your stay was so special. Was it a great bargain right on the beach? A luxurious splurge in New York or Paris? A sprawling spa with breathtaking views?