Christchurch - 4 out of top 5 world fave hotels

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Christchurch claims four out of top five world favourite New Zealand hotels

Annual Expedia Insiders’ Select list reveals the world’s most favourite hotels

Auckland, 5th May 2009 – Four out of the top five New Zealand hotels included in this year’s annual global Expedia® Insiders' Select list (www.expedia.com/insidersselect) are in Christchurch, with The Classic Villa taking the top spot as the world’s favourite hotel in New Zealand. The other Christchurch hotels featured on the list include The Heritage Christchurch; the Millennium Hotel; Hotel Grand Chancellor and the Hotel So.

The Westin Auckland, Lighter Quays, which was the highest ranking New Zealand hotel last year, dropped to second place, but the city still managed to notch up five properties out of the total of 10 New Zealand hotels on the list.

Chateau Beauvallon, near the town of Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada was named the world’s favourite hotel.

Now in its third year, the annual Expedia Insiders’ Select list represents the extensive range of hotel types offered by Expedia globally and those that have been recognised by Expedia travellers for consistently delivering excellent service, a great overall experience and providing notable value. The list represents an easy-to-browse directory of the top 1,000 of over 100,000 hotel properties globally offered by Expedia and is comprised of hotels ranging from boutique to chain properties in a variety of destinations.

With more people booking travel on Expedia sites than any other online travel company in the world, the Expedia Insiders’ Select list was compiled using a combination of hundreds of thousands of Traveler Opinions® from Expedia customers. This was combined with insights from Expedia’s own network of hundreds of experts worldwide, systematically comparing hotels and resorts to similar properties to determine the best value for money,

Expedia is home to more traveller reviews than any other online travel company, with Traveler Opinions available on the Expedia.co.nz New Zealand site as well.

Louise Crompton, Marketing Manager for Expedia.co.nz, says: “The fact that 10 New Zealand hotels have made this year’s Insiders’ Select list - up from only four in 2008 -confirms our belief that New Zealand offers world-class accommodation and shows that international travellers to our country are impressed by both the quality and value of the hotels they find in our country.”

“Capturing the experiences of hundreds of thousands of hotel guests to select the world's favourite hotels based on value, service and customer ratings, the Expedia Insiders’ Select list provides Kiwi travellers with yet another option to browse and select from our extensive range of hotels to make the best choice,” she said.

Ms Crompton said that when booking their trips, and as part of their overall research, New Zealanders should consult reviews posted online from other travellers. “Independent traveller reviews provide invaluable insights and suggestions, and help travellers to make the best choices and maximise their overall travel experience,” she concluded.

The full list of the world’s favourite hotels is available at www.expedia.com/insiderselect

New Zealand hotels which made it to the Expedia Insiders’ Select list:

New Zealand ranking Overall global ranking Name Location
1 28 The Classic Villa Christchurch
2 98 The Westin Auckland, Lighter Quay Auckland
3 186 Heritage Christchurch Christchurch
4 202 Millennium Hotel Christchurch Christchurch
5 219 Hotel Grand Chancellor Christchurch Christchurch
6 447 Hilton Auckland Auckland
7 634 Heritage Auckland Auckland
8 635 The Langham, Auckland Auckland
9 801 SKYCITY Grand Auckland
10 814 Hotel So Christchurch

Expedia Insiders’ Select Top 10 hotels worldwide:

1 Chateau Beauvallon****, Quebec, Canada

Chateau Beauvallon's is located in Quebec's Laurentian Mountains and has a French-inspired restaurant, a wine library, room service, an outdoor pool, spa tub, private putting green and five championship golf courses within two kilometres.

Guestrooms at Chateau Beauvallon feature separate living rooms with gas fireplaces and high-definition flat-screen TVs. Wireless Internet access and local calls are complimentary.

2 The Prince Park Tower****1/2, Tokyo, Japan

Beneath Tokyo Tower, this atrium-style hotel is situated just one kilometre from Roppongi. The basement floor is taken up by a bowling alley, health club, shopping arcade and even a restaurant row that mimics a traditional street.
Balconies with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors offer views of the city, Tokyo Tower, or Rainbow Bridge.

3 Viva Marinha Hotel & Suites*****, Cascais, Portugal
Set amid lush greenery 200 metres from the Atlantic coast, this hotel offers an outdoor pool surrounded by sunloungers, a sauna and Turkish bath, a massage treatment room and a fitness centre.
All apartments extend to balconies and include satellite television, complimentary Internet access, and bathrooms with designer toiletries and hair dryers.

4 Conrad Indianapolis****1/2, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

This downtown Indianapolis hotel is adjacent to the Arts garden, one block from the State Capitol, and connected via enclosed skywalk to Circle Centre Mall, the convention centre, and Lucas Oil Stadium.
Guestrooms at Conrad Indianapolis provide signature bedding with 500-thread-count Italian linens; 42-inch plasma TVs; and marble baths with separate showers, tubs, LCD TVs, phones, bathrobes, and slippers.

5 The Ritz-Carlton*****, Sarasota, Florida, USA

Encompassing 11 acres overlooking a marina, this resort includes a private club on the white-sand beaches of nearby Lido Key.
The resort’s award-winning spa offers about 100 beauty and wellness treatments. The Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club is just 20 minutes away and accessible via complimentary shuttle.
Refined guestrooms in soft colours at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota feature balconies overlooking the city, marina, or Sarasota Bay. All have plush feather beds, Italian-marble bathrooms, and high-speed Internet access.

6 Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa****1/2, Cozumel, Mexico

Set on a private white-sand beach dotted with palapa-shaded hammocks, the resort features two pools, a luxury spa and a putting green, as well as a playground and kids' club.
All guestrooms feature Egyptian cotton duvets, plasma TVs, and complimentary wireless Internet access; furnished balconies and terraces offer ocean, pool, or garden views.

7 French Quarter Inn****, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
This 50-room hotel has a circular atrium above the City Market, Charleston's principal attraction.
Featuring 18th-century French accents, French Quarter Inn rooms also offer contemporary niceties such as plush-top mattresses, a pillow menu and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

8 Hotel 1000****, Seattle, USA
The Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, Financial District and Seattle's attraction-filled waterfront are all within two blocks of this stylish contemporary hotel on bustling First Avenue.
Trendy BOKA restaurant, a full-service spa and a virtual golf club, with courses from around the world, are all on site.
Luxurious guestrooms feature extra-soft Thai linens, 40-inch LCD TVs with surround sound, and phones with VOIP. Bathrooms have ceiling-fed pedestal tubs, walk-in showers, and Molton Brown toiletries.

9 Excellence Playa Mujeres Adults Only All Inclusive*****, Playa Mujeres, Mexico

This romantic, adults-only resort is nestled on a white-sand beach, featuring a day spa and a golf course designed by Greg Norman.

The Excellence Playa Mujeres features many restaurants, bars, outdoor pools, and spa tubs.
Spacious guest suites have balconies or patios, separate sitting areas, private spa tubs, and two-person rainfall showers. Also included are 42-inch LCD TVs, DVD players and wireless Internet access.

10 Sandpearl Resort****, Clearwater Beach, Florida, USA

This resort is situated along the sandy beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast, features private cabanas surround by the lagoon-style pool overlooking the gulf; poolside dining and drink service is also available.
Sandpearl Resort's island-inspired guestrooms are nicely equipped with flat-panel TVs, wireless Internet access, and views of the Gulf of Mexico or Mandalay Bay.

ENDS

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