January 25, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO (January 25, 2008) -- Condé Nast Johansens, the international luxury travel guide from the “most trusted name in travel publishing,” Condé Nast Publications Ltd., today announced the eagerly awaited winners of the 2008 Awards for Excellence.  The winners of the prestigious awards were chosen as the premier properties throughout the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific Islands.  The full list of winners is included below.

The winners were selected in 25 categories, including Most Excellent Hotel, Most Excellent Resort and Most Excellent Spa Hotel.  Other winners were chosen in categories created specifically to celebrate the ever-growing diversity of the Guide’s offerings, such as Most Excellent Lodge, Central & South America; Most Excellent Ranch, USA; and Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway, Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific Islands.  The winners were voted for by readers of the Guide, hotel guests and the Condé Nast Johansens inspection team.

“With 326 of the world’s finest properties in the 2008 Recommended Hotels, Inns, Resorts & Spas – The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean, & Pacific, and our expanded coverageof Canada and Central and South America, the categories were very competitive,” said Lesley O’Malley-Keyes, VP & Publishing Director, The Americas. “Condé Nast Johansens recommends only properties that meet our exacting standards, so the Excellence Awards winners represent the very best of the best.  Our readers are discerning, savvy travelers who enjoy excellent accommodations and personal attention.”

                     
The Guide's easy-to-use format simplifies the independent traveler’s task of selecting and booking accommodations.  Each Recommendation features rich, full-color exterior and interior hotel photographs, and details about facilities, rates and contact information.  The 2008 Guide represents a departure from the illustrated coffee table format that Condé Nast Johansens first introduced 25 years ago.  The 2008 Guides have a more compact, portable and user-friendly format, with an injection of contemporary style to fit both the needs and the style of affluent travelers on-the-go. 

The Guides, which are celebrating their 26th year of publication in Europe, have attracted a loyal readership in the United States by guaranteeing that each Recommended property undergoes a rigorous annual inspection process to ensure exceptional quality is maintained year after year.  Every Recommended hotel or spa in the Guide is awarded the “Condé Nast Mark of Excellence” wall plaque.  This prestigious sign of approval serves as a visible endorsement for more than 13 million of the world’s most discerning travelers.

Following extensive user-research, the Condé Nast Johansens Web site (www.johansens.com), an increasingly important part of the Condé Nast Johansens offerings, has also been re-designed to reflect the varying ways in which the Guides’ users research hotels and destinations.  The easy-to-use Web site allows visitors to find a hotel by country, state, island or by keyword search -- if inspiration is required -- the Web site delivers recommendations based on preferred criteria, such as “spa” or “gourmet food.”  Other features of the site include a venue finder, special offers, online gift certificate purchasing, and late availability options. 

The winners of the Condé Nast Johansens 2008 Awards for Excellence,
The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean & Pacific are:

USA & CANADA

Most Excellent Resort
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort - Florida

Most Excellent Inn
Old Edwards Inn and Spa - North Carolina

Most Excellent Lodge
The Big EZ Lodge - Montana

Most Excellent Spa Hotel
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain – Arizona

Most Excellent Hotel
Hotel Bel-Air - California

Most Excellent Ranch
Hidden Meadow Ranch - Arizona

Most Excellent Small Hotel
Hotel Quintessence - Quebec

Most Excellent Golf Resort
Ballantyne Resort - North Carolina

Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway
Wickaninnish Inn - British Columbia

Most Excellent Country House Hotel
Blantyre – Massachusetts

MEXICO & CENTRAL AMERICA

Most Excellent Resort
Esperanza – Mexico

Most Excellent Hotel
Hotel Punta Islita - Costa Rica

Most Excellent Spa Hotel
Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort - Mexico

Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway
Hacienda San Antonio - Mexico

SOUTH AMERICA

Most Excellent Beach Hotel
Pousada do Toque - Brazil

Most Excellent Hotel
Ponta dos Ganchos - Brazil

Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway
Correntoso Lake & River Hotel - Argentina

Most Excellent Spa Hotel
Kurotel - Brazil

Most Excellent Lodge
Pousada do Engenho - Brazil

ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN & PACIFIC ISLANDS

Most Excellent Resort
Grace Bay Club - Turks and Caicos Islands

Most Excellent Hotel
Biras Creek Resort - British Virgin Islands

Most Excellent Romantic Hideaway
Royal Davui Island Resort - Fiji Islands

Most Excellent Spa Hotel
Parrot Cay - Turks and Caicos Islands

THE AMERICAS, ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN & PACIFIC ISLANDS

Most Excellent Service
The Hay Adams - Washington, DC

Most Excellent Business Partner
Hotel Plaza Athenee – New York City

The Condé Nast Johansens international collection of guides are available at select bookstores nationwide, including the 2008 Recommended Hotels, Inns , Resorts & Spas – The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean , Pacific.The Guide Web site, www.johansens.com, offers exclusive seasonal discounts and complimentary access to the international database of luxury accommodations.  Consumers can purchase Condé Nast Johansens Guides by calling Condé Nast Johansens at 1-800-564-7518, or via the online bookstore at www.johansens.com.  Gift certificates are also available at the Web site.

The complete Condé Nast Johansens international collection includes:

Recommended Hotels & Spas, Great Britain and Ireland

Recommended Country Houses, Small Hotels, Inns and Restaurants Great Britain and Ireland
Recommended Hotels and Spas, Europe and The Mediterranean
Recommended Hotels, Inns, Resorts & Spas The Americas, Atlantic, Caribbean, Pacific
Recommended Venues for Business Meetings, Conferences and Events

Recommended Luxury Spas

About Condé Nast Johansens
Condé Nast Johansens is owned by Condé Nast Publications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Advance Publications and Condé Nast International, which publishes 72 magazines around the world, including Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, House & Garden, Architectural Digest, The New Yorker, GQ, Tatler, Vanity Fair, Brides, Glamour and Wired.

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Media contact:  Casey Shaughnessy, Julie Jarratt or Toby Baird at Glodow Nead Communications, (415) 394-6500 or         Casey@GlodowNead.com, Julie@GlodowNead.com, Toby@GlodowNead.com