TripAdvisor Announces Travelers' Choice Awards

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

See recent posts by Carl Unger

Last week we brought you the seedy underside of travel, courtesy of sister site TripAdvisor’s Dirtiest Hotels list. Today we’re switching gears to the hotels that get it right. TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards highlight the best of the best, as rated by TripAdvisor’s millions of users. The awards also dig out the best bargains, B&Bs, and all-inclusives, as well as great family hotels, spas, and more.

To start out, the bargain category caught my eye (since we’re all watching our wallets these days). Here are the top five bargain hotels in the world, per TripAdvisor:

Arcadia Residence; Prague, Czech Republic
SeaCoast Inn; Hyannis, Massachusetts
The Manor Coach House; Worcester, U.K.
Hotel Vecchio Asilo; San Gimignano, Italy
Secret Garden Chiang Mai; Chiang Mai, Thailand

Closer to home, the best U.S. bargains are:

SeaCoast Inn; Hyannis, Massachusetts
La Quinta Inn & Suites Tampa North; Temple Terrace, Florida
Old Ranch Inn; Palm Springs, California
El Morocco Inn & Spa; Desert Hot Springs, California
The Motor Lodge; Prescott, Arizona

As for the best overall hotels in the U.S., here’s the top five:

Inn New York City; New York, New York
Elan Hotel Los Angeles; Los Angeles, California
The Talbott Hotel; Chicago, Illinois
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Grand Hyatt DFW; Dallas, Texas

Elsewhere, The Four Seasons Hotel George V, in Paris, took top honors in Europe; the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is tops in Japan; and the BuddhaZen Hotel in Chengdu, China, is China’s best.

This is just scratching the surface of what’s included in these awards, so set aside some time to look through and see which hotels made it.

I’d love to hear about your best hotel experience, so please leave a comment below telling where you traveled and why your stay was so special. Was it a great bargain right on the beach? A luxurious splurge in New York or Paris? A sprawling spa with breathtaking views?

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