NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP), the world's largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its 2012 Travelers' Choice(®) awards. The 10(th) annual awards has revealed premier properties in the U.S. and world, in addition to winners in the categories of Best Luxury and Bargain, Best for Service, B&Bs and Inns, All-Inclusive, Spa, and Trendiest. In total, 3,943 properties globally have been recognized this year with dedicated lists featured for 30 countries and eight regions worldwide. Unlike any other hotel honors, TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice winners are based on millions of valuable reviews and opinions from travelers around the world.

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As TripAdvisor has continued its growth globally, featuring sites in 30 countries and in 21 languages, the Travelers' Choice Hotels awards now highlight a broader range of spectacular properties across the globe. This is TripAdvisor's biggest awards ever, with lists covering 19 new markets and expanded categories from "Top 10" to "Top 25" winners, providing more inspiration for travelers seeking remarkable properties around the world.

The average nightly rate(1) for 2012 Travelers' Choice Hotels award winners is $270 and 45 percent have an average nightly rate of $200 or less per night. Average nightly rate for the Best Luxury hotels is $455, Best Bargain $106, Best for Service $255, B&Bs and Inns $124, All-Inclusive $488, Spa $376, and Trendiest $253.

"TripAdvisor is incredibly proud to announce its Travelers' Choice award-winning hotels for the tenth year," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. "We're also thrilled to grow our awards with winner lists for twice as many markets globally this year, as we continue our mission to help more travelers around the world plan and have the perfect trip."

Select 2012 Winners:

Best Hotel in the World - The Phoenix Resort - San Pedro, Belize

Best Hotel in the U.S. - Elysian Hotel Chicago - Chicago, Illinois

Best Luxury (4&5 star) Hotel in the World - Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan

Best Luxury (4&5 star) Hotel in the U.S. - The Grand Del Mar - San Diego, California

Best Bargain in the World - HueNino Hotel - Hue, Vietnam

Best Bargain in the U.S. - SeaCoast Inn - Hyannis, Massachusetts

Best for Service in the World - Arcadia Residence - Prague, Czech Republic

Best for Service in the U.S. - SeaCoast Inn - Hyannis, Massachusetts

Best B&B and Inn in the World - The Twenty One - Brighton, England

Best B&B and Inn in the U.S. - A.G. Thomson House: Historic Bed and Breakfast - Duluth, Minnesota

Best All-Inclusive in the World - Garonga Safari Camp - Phalaborwa, South Africa

Best All-Inclusive in the Caribbean - East Winds Inn - Gros Islet, St. Lucia

Best Relaxation and Spa in the World - BollAnt's im Park - Bad Sobernheim, Germany

Best Relaxation and Spa in the U.S. - Bella Monte Hot Springs Resort and Spa - Desert Hot Springs, California

Trendiest Hotel in the World - Villa Zest Boutique Hotel - Cape Town, South Africa

Trendiest Hotel in the U.S. - Smyth Hotel - A Thompson Hotel - New York City, New York

The complete list of TripAdvisor's 2012 Travelers' Choice winners can be found at: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice.

(1) Average nightly rates averages reflect those properties with rates listed on TripAdvisor.

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 18 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 65 million unique monthly visitors**. TripAdvisor's travel media brands include: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, August 2011

**Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Inc. and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, August 2011

©2012 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE TripAdvisor

SOURCE: TripAdvisor