July 31, 2012
Best Resorts Named by SPG Awards
Mark Thompson READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Stamford, CT - Selected by members, SPG's second annual survey identifies over seventy of the top Starwood resorts across nine categories. Twenty six made the list for the first time including new resorts such as The Westin Resort & Spa in Playa Conchal, Costa Rica and The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Phuket.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and its award-winning Starwood Preferred Guest� (SPG) program announced the winners of the 2012 Member Favorites List which can be seen on www.spg.com/resorts
SPG's well traveled members were invited to identify their favorite resorts, the top twelve of which were listed across the following nine categories: Best Beach Resort, Most Romantic Retreat, Best Exotic Escape, Best Family Experience, Best Golf Getaway, Best Island Paradise, Best Spa Indulgence, Best Winter Adventure and Best Small Wonder.
Among the most popular resorts selected by members for 2012 are:
� W Retreat & Spa in the Maldives, which appears in six categories-more than any other Starwood resort
� The St. Regis Princeville Resort in Kauai which was ranked in five categories overall
� The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort and The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka'anapali both received votes for four categories each
� Other top voted resorts were The Westin Denarau Island in Fiji, the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa and St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA - all being recognized in three categories each.
� The St. Regis Aspen in Colorado was recognized by members as a Best Spa Indulgence and Best Winter Adventure resort coming on the heels of a $40 million renovation
"The 2012 SPG Member Favorites List represents more luxury in more destinations this year than ever before," said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President of Starwood Preferred Guest. "These hotels and resorts selected by our members are deeply honored to be recognized with this distinction."
To celebrate the launch of the Member Favorites List, SPG has established its presence on Pinterest, with its first boards featuring each of the nine resort categories. Travel aficionados can look to the page for photos of their favorite Starwood hotels and resorts for travel inspiration from around the world and re-pin to share with their followers. The page will allow "Pinners" to engage with SPG and share ideas and tips with other travelers.
As Starwood's global presence increases, so does members' recognition of those global resorts:
� Twenty five percent of the overall resort favorites were in Asia Pacific , with The Westin Sohna in India becoming the first Indian resort to make the list
� Recently opened global resorts which were included in the impressive round-up include:
o The Sheraton Guangzhou Huadu Resort in China
o Villarrica Park Lake Hotel & Spa, a Luxury Collection Resort, Chile
o The St. Regis Lhasa Resort, Tibet
o The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi
For a complete list of all SPG Member Favorites visit www.spg.com/memberfavorites
A long-term New Yorker and a member of New York Travel Writers Association, Mark Thompson has also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The author of the novels WOLFCHILD and MY HAWAIIAN PENTHOUSE, he has a PhD in American Studies and is the recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center. His work has appeared in numerous publications.
