TripAdvisor(R), the world's largest travel community, today announced the winners of its 2008 Travelers' Choice(R) awards.

Three hundred twenty-five hotels were honored in the sixth year of the competition, and hotels received awards in the following categories: Best Luxury, Best Bargains, Best Hidden Gems, Best for Families, Best for Romance, Best Pool, Best Inn & B&B, and Best Service. Four Seasons is recognized as Best Brand for the second straight year. Best All-Inclusive hotels is a new award category this year.

Unlike any other hotel awards programs that survey perhaps thousands of people, TripAdvisor(R) Travelers' Choice(R) winners are based on the millions of real and unbiased reviews and opinions about hotels on tripadvisor.com(TM) and content from across the web.

"The 2008 Travelers' Choice winners are once again singled out for their great service and extraordinary value," said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor. "Determined by millions of real travelers, the Travelers' Choice award winners raise the bar for hotels around the world, with their exceptional properties and great staff that enhance the overall travel experience."

The average rate per night for all 325 winners is $302, which includes 166 4- and 5-star hotels. Best Bargains average $132 per night; the average nightly rate for Inns and B&Bs is $148 per night; and Hidden Gems average $155 per night. Nearly one third of the winning hotels have an average nightly rate of less than $150.

Select 2008 Winners:

Best Luxury (4&5 star hotels) in the World - Los Altos De Eros, Tamarindo, Costa Rica

  Best Luxury in the U.S. - Signature at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
  Best Luxury in Europe - The Ritz-Carlton Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  Best Bargain in the World - SeaCoast Inn, Hyannis, Massachusetts
  Best Bargain in Europe - Arcadia Residence, Prague, Czech Republic

Best Hidden Gem in the World - Golden Well (U Zlate Studne), Prague, Czech Republic

Best for Families in the U.S. - Residence Inn SeaWorld/International Center, Orlando, Florida

  Best for Families in Europe - Protur Bonaire Aparthotel, Cala Bona, Spain
  Best for Romance in the World - Legends Hotel, Grand Gaube, Mauritius

Best for Romance in the U.S. - Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii

  Best Pool in the U.S. - Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, Poipu, Hawaii
  Best for Service in the World - Los Altos De Eros, Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Best for Service in the U.S. - Omni San Francisco Hotel, San Francisco, California

  Best All-Inclusive World - Royal Plantation, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
  Best Inn & B&B in the U.S. - Foxfield Inn, Charlottesville, Virginia
  Best Brand in the World - Four Seasons

For the complete 2008 Travelers' Choice list, go to www.tripadvisor.com/travelerschoice.

True to TripAdvisor's promise to deliver the whole truth about travel-- the good, the bad, and the ugly -- TripAdvisor has again identified the 10 dirtiest hotels in the U.S., based on traveler ratings for cleanliness.

  10 Dirtiest Hotels in the U.S.
  1. Hotel Carter, New York, New York
  2. Ramada Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls, New York
  3. Nashville - Days Inn Vanderbilt/Music Row, Nashville, Tennessee
  4. Red Carpet Inn, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  5. Regency Inn & Suites, New York, New York
  6. St. Augustine Beachfront Resort, St. Augustine, Florida
  7. Travel Inn Civic/Medical Center, Miami, Florida
  8. Eden Roc Motel, Wildwood, New Jersey
  9. Days Inn Lancaster, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  10. Pacific Sands Motel, Santa Monica, California

"The Hotel Carter reclaims the top spot on the dirtiest list, and shamelessly, it is their third year in a row at the top two of that list," said Perry. Florida and New York City hotels again litter the dirtiest list, comprising half of the top ten.

About TripAdvisor Media Network

TripAdvisor(R) Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts nearly 30 million monthly visitors (source: comScore Media Metrix, Digital Calculator Report, July 2007) across eight popular travel brands, TripAdvisor(R) sites, bookingbuddy.com (TM), cruisecritic.com(TM), independenttraveler.com(TM), seatguru.com(R), smartertravel.com(TM), travel- library.com(TM) and travelpod.com(TM). TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 25 million monthly visitors, five million registered members and 10 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 280,000+ hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/), the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/), Ireland (http://www.tripadvisor.ie/), France (http://www.tripadvisor.fr/), Germany (http://www.tripadvisor.de/), Italy (http://www.tripadvisor.it/), and Spain (http://www.tripadvisor.es/). TripAdvisor(R) Media Network provides travel suppliers with graphical advertising opportunities and a cost-per-click marketing platform. Collectively, the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network have won hundreds of awards and accolades from press and industry, worldwide. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. .

TripAdvisor, TripAdvisor.com, seatguru.com, travel-library.com, travelpod.com are either trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor, LLC, in the U.S. and/or other countries. Bookingbuddy.com and smartertravel.com are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Smarter Travel Media LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Cruisecritic.com and independenttraveler.com are either trademarks or registered trademarks of The Independent Traveler, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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SOURCE: TripAdvisor