WORLD’S BEST AWARDS 2006
FLORENCE NAMED WORLD’S BEST CITY
Florence, Rome and Villa D’Este are Among Readers’ Favorites in
Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 11th Annual World’s Best Awards
New
York, NY (July 10, 2006) – Travel + Leisure announced today that
Florence is ranked the number one city in the world, taking the
place
Sydney
held for the past four years, according to the magazine’s 2006
World’s Best Awards readers’ survey.
Rome follows ranked in second place and Villa D’Este has
been voted Best Hotel Spa in
Europe.
Italy is on everyone’s mind and on everyone’s wish list!
The 2006 World’s Best Awards uncovers readers’ favorite cities, islands, hotels, cruise lines, airlines, tour companies, spas, and car-rental agencies. The survey results, including the Top 100 Hotels Worldwide, are featured in the August issue of Travel + Leisure, the world’s leading travel magazine, and online at www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest.*
Travel + Leisure Editor-in-Chief Nancy Novogrod says, “A powerful gauge of the interests and tastes of sophisticated travelers, the 2006 World’s Best Awards reveal a preference for places farther away, smaller, and more unique than ever before—a lodge in South Africa, a castle in Scotland, a spa vacation in Italy are among the top ten hotels worldwide.
TRAVEL + LEISURE 2006 WORLD’S BEST AWARDS READERS’ SURVEY WINNERS
| WORLD’S BEST HOTEL | Singita Private Game Reserve, S. Africa |
| WORLD’S BEST CITY | Florence |
| WORLD’S BEST ISLAND | Bali |
| WORLD’S BEST LARGE-SHIP CRUISE LINE | Crystal Cruises |
| WORLD’S BEST SMALL-SHIP CRUISE LINE | Yachts of Seabourn |
| WORLD’S BEST TOUR OPERATOR/SAFARI OUTFITTER | Micato Safaris |
| WORLD’S BEST DOMESTIC AIRLINE | JetBlue Airways |
| WORLD’S BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE | Singapore Airlines |
|
WORLD’S BEST CAR-RENTAL AGENcY |
Hertz |
| WORLD’S BEST HOTEL FOR $250 OR LESS | Inn at Montchanin Village, Delaware |
|
WORLD’S BEST DESTINATION SPA |
Chiva-Som International Health Resorts, Thailand |
TRAVEL + LEISURE 2006 WORLD’S BEST HOTELS BY REGION
| BEST HOTEL, CONTINENTAL U.S + CANADA | The Aerie, Vancouver Island |
| BEST HOTEL, HAWAII | Four Seasons Resort Hualalai |
| BEST HOTEL, CARIBBEAN/BERMUDA/BAHAMAS | Waterloo House, Bermuda |
| BEST HOTEL, EUROPE | Inverlochy Castle, Scotland |
| BEST HOTEL, ASIA | Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan |
| BEST HOTEL, AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND /S. PACIFIC | Huka Lodge, New Zealand |
| BEST HOTEL, AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST | Singita Private Game Reserve |
| BEST HOTEL, MEXICO/CENTRAL + SOUTH AMERICA | Ritz-Carlton, Santiago |
TRAVEL + LEISURE 2006 WORLD’S BEST CITIES + ISLANDS BY REGION
| REGION | CITY | ISLAND |
| CONTINENTAL U.S. + CANADA | New York | Cape Breton Island |
| EUROPE | Florence | Santorini |
| ASIA | Bangkok | Bali |
| AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND/S. PACIFIC | Sydney | Tasmania |
| AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST | Cape Town | Seychelles |
| MEXICO/CENTRAL + SOUTH AMERICA | Buenos Aires | Galápagos Islands |
| HAWAII | Kauai | |
| CARIBBEAN/BERMUDA/BAHAMAS | Saba |
TRAVEL + LEISURE 2006 WORLD’S BEST HOTEL SPAS BY REGION
| U.S. + CANADA | Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes |
| EUROPE | Villa d’Este, Italy |
| CARIBBEAN | Parrot Cay and Shambala Retreat, Turks and Caicos |
| ASIA/PACIFIC/AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST | Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai |
|
MEXICO/CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA |
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo |