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Virgin America, Singapore Airlines Take Tops In Condé Nast Traveler Awards

October 16, 2009 at 9:50 AM | by | Comments (0)

Last night in New York (the unfriendliest city in the nation, according to results), Condé Nast Traveler held the awards reception for their 2009 Readers Choice Awards, hosted by Stanley Tucci and Mary Louise Parker and seeing big wigs like Richard Branson and David Cush (of Virgin America) in attendance.

This year, 25,000 of CN Traveler's readers voted for their favorites in such categories as best cruise line, best Asian city, and even top car rental agencies. While with some winners, we wonder how they even got on the ballot (Capri is one of the best European islands? Maybe 20 years ago), we absolutely saw no competition for some of the winners (Singapore Airlines took tops in international airlines again}.

While reading the winners after the jump, keep in mind that Traveler's demographic skews a bit older and affluent, so seeing the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz take Top European Resort even though it feels like no one's been there in eighty years is not so surprising, as is the fact that the Four Seasons positively cleaned up in some hotel categories.

Top Airlines Global
Singapore Airlines
Emirates
Tie: Virgin Atlantic and Cathay Pacific

Top Airlines North America
Virgin America
JetBlue Airways
Midwest Airlines

Top Car Rental Agencies
Hertz
Enterprise
Avis

Top Cruise Lines Mega-Ship
Celebrity
Disney
Cunard

Top Cruise Lines Large Ships
Crystal
Regent Seven Seas
Cunard

Top Cruise Lines Small Ships
Sea Cloud
Yachts of Seabourn
Regent Seven Seas

Top Cities United States
San Francisco
Charleston, SC
Santa Fe

Top Cities Europe
Florence
Rome
Venice
[Ed note: seriously, there are no other good European cities outside of Italy? recount!]

Top Cities Asia
Ubud, Bali
Bangkok
Hong Kong

Top Cities Africa/Middle East
Cape Town
Jerusalem
Beirut

Top Cities The Americas
Vancouver
Buenos Aires
Quebec City

Top Cities Australia/Pacific
Sydney
Melbourne
Queenstown

Top Islands Caribbean/Atlantic
Bermuda
St. John
St. Barts

Top Islands Pacific
Maui
Kauai
Bora Bora

Top Islands Asia/Indian Ocean
Maldives
Bali
Phuket

Top Islands North America
Kiawah, SC
Vancouver Island
Nantucket, MA

Top Islands Europe
Mykonos and the Cyclades
Bozcaada and the Turkish Aegean Islands
Capri

Top Resorts Asia
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai
Oberoi Vanyavilas, Rajasthan
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

Top Resorts Mexico
One & Only Palmilla, Los Cabos
The Tides, Riviera Maya
The Tides, Zihuatanejo

Top Resorts Africa
Mombo and Little Mombo Camps, Botswana
Sandibe Safari Lodge, Botswana
Safari Lodges at Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Top Resorts Europe
Hotel du Palais, Biarritz
Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo
Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, Co. Limerick

Top Resorts Hawaii
Four Season Resort Maui at Wailea
Four Season Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu, Big Island
Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele

Top Resorts Atlantic Ocean
The Reefs, Bermuda
One & Only Ocean Club, Paradise Island, Bahamas
Grace Bay Club, Turks and Caicos

Top Resorts Middle East
Burj Al Arab, Dubai
Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
One & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai

Top Resorts Oceana
Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa
Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand
La Taha'a Island Resort & Spa, French Polynesia

Top Resorts Mainland U.S.
Sanctuary at Kiawah Island
Inn at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach
Montage Laguna Beach

Top Small Resorts Mainland U.S.
Kenwood Inn and Spa, Sonoma
Casa Palermo, Pebble Beach
Lake Austin Spa Resort, Austin

Top Resorts Canada
King Pacific Lodge, Princess Royal Island
Emerald Lake Lodge, Alberta
Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, Vancouver Island

Top Resorts Caribbean
Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
Curtain Bluff, Antigua
Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, Nevis

Top Resorts Central/South America
Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, Uruguay
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Hotel Salto Chico, Explora en Patagonia, Chile

Top Hotels Southern Europe
Il San Pietro di Positano, Positano, Italy [Ed Note: what about their rival Le Sirenuse?]
Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole, Tuscany
Four Season George V, Paris

Top Hotels Northern Europe
Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski Dresden
Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Budapest
Ritz-Carlton, Berlin

Top Small Hotels Europe
La Scalinatella, Capri
La Colombe d'Or, St-Paul de Vence
Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli, Lake Garda

Top Hotels Central America
Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Osa Peninsuala, Costa Rica
Casa Santo Domingo, Antigua
Villas Caletas, Costa Rica

Top Hotels Oceania
Blankey Bay, South Island, New Zealand
Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart
Park Hyatt, Sydney

Top Hotels British Isles
Chewton Glen, Hampshire
Milestone Hotel, London
The Goring, London

Top Hotels Caribbean/Atlantic
Peninsula House, Samana, Dominican Republic
The Caves, Jamaica
Hotel Le Toiny, St. Barts

Top Hotels Asia
Oberoi Udaivilas, Rajasthan
Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo
The Peninsula, Hong Kong

Top Hotels Africa
The Saxon, Johannesburg
Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town
Cape Grace, Cape Town

Top Hotels Canada
Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City
Fairmont Vancouver Airport
Hotel Le Germain-Dominion, Quebec City

Top Hotels Mexico
Casa Natalia, San Jose del Cabo
Las Mananitas, Cuernavaca
JW Marriott Hotel, Mexico City

Top Hotels United States
21c Museum Hotel, Louisville [Ed note: oh yea, we're sure a majority of the 25,000 voters has heard of this place, let alone stayed here]
The Peninsula, Chicago
Mandarin Oriental, Boston

Top Small Hotels United States
Blantyre, Lenox, Mass.
The Swag, Great Smoky, Mountains, N.C.
Tu Tu' Tun Lodge, Gold Beach, Oregon

Top Hotels South America
Hotel Monasterio, Cuzco
Four Seasons Hotel, Buenos Aires
Alvear Palace Hotel, Buenos Aires

Top Hotels Middle East
Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai
David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem
Park Hyatt Dubai

Related Stories:
· Condé Nast Traveler 2009 Readers Choice Awards [CN Traveler]
· Travel News [Jaunted]

[Photo: CN Traveler]

[Note: Jaunted and Condé Nast Traveler are owned by Conde Nast]

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