The Best Hotels in the U.S. and the World

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Millions of travelers can’t be wrong – or at least that’s the idea behind TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards.

In the recently-released 2011 awards, one U.S. hotel earned special mention – Cape Cod’s SeaCoast Inn was voted best bargain hotel in the United States as well as the world and the best hotel for service in the United States. Talk about a place to “check out”!

The site claims the annual awards, now in their ninth year, are based on reviews from millions of travelers worldwide.

“Outstanding service, great value and top quality are hallmarks of our Travelers’ Choice winners,” says Karen Drake, a TripAdvisor director. But if you’re looking for exceptional hotels, inexpensive is the exception. According to their press release

“The average nightly rate for the entire list of Travelers’ Choice award winners is $283 and nearly one-third of the hotels have an average nightly rate of $150 or less per night. Average nightly rate for Best Bargains is $93; B&Bs and Inns $104; Best for Romance $400; Trendiest $237; Best Relaxation and Spa $427.”

The top hotels in those categories and more…

Best bargain:

  • in the U.S. – SeaCoast Inn (Hyannis, Mass. – summer season: $118-$158, spring and fall: $78-$118)
  • in the world – SeaCoast Inn (Hyannis, Mass.)

Best bed and breakfast and inn:

Best for romance:

Trendiest:

Best for relaxation and spa:

Best for luxury:

Best for service:

  • in the U.S. – SeaCoast Inn (Hyannis, Mass.)
  • in the world – Anastasis Apartments (Imerovigli, Santorini Island, Greece)

If the bargain category interests you most – a good guess, since you’re reading MoneyTalksNews – you’ll also appreciate the results of the January 2011 Hotwire Hotel Rate Report. Released the same day as TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards, this report ranks the five cities in North America where hotel rates either dropped or spiked the most over the last year.

Flagstaff, Ariz. took top honors, with rates 12 percent lower than this time last year. And according to Hotwire, a nice place to visit…

“January is traditionally a slow time of year for Flagstaff, but tourism is slower than normal this winter. Surrounded by natural wonders like Grand Canyon National Park, Flagstaff offers more than 200 restaurants, numerous night spots and a variety of cultural, historic and scientific attractions. The clean mountain air, year-round outdoor recreation opportunities and Western legacy are all part of the city’s charm.”

The biggest rate drops were found in…

  1. Flagstaff, Ariz. (-12 percent)
  2. Key West, Fla. (-11 percent)
  3. Albuquerque, N.M. (-8 percent)
  4. Reno, Nev. (-6 percent)
  5. Salt Lake City, Utah (-6 percent)

The biggest price hikes were found in…

  1. Honolulu, Hawaii (20 percent)
  2. Miami, Fla. (18 percent)
  3. Providence, R.I. (17 percent)
  4. Montreal, Quebec, Canada (17 percent)
  5. Toronto, Ontario, Canada (16 percent)

You might also want to check out TravelZoo‘s list of Wow Deal Destinations for 2011.

And for the most popular places to visit this year, check in to our recent story Top 2011 Vacation Hotspots.

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