NEW YORK — After years of perfectly respectable placements on the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers Choice Awards list, Vietnam has now won the No. 1 spot on a list of the Top Hotels in Southeast Asia.
Announced in New York on Oct. 20, the results of Conde Nast Traveler’s 27th annual survey placed five hotels and resorts in Vietnam on the prestigious travel magazine’s list of top hospitality properties.
The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi jumped up five spots from last year’s No. 5 position to stand supreme as the hotel in the Southeast Asia most favored by the magazine’s readers.
La Residence Hotel & Spa in Hue also earned a spot on the list for the first time, placing No. 19 on the list, besting the likes of such storied brands as the Four Seasons and the only other Vietnam hotel on the list, the Park Hyatt Saigon (No. 21).
The Nam Hai placed among the top-ten resorts in all Asia for the second year in a row. The magazine praised the hotel for encouraging “a Zen-like serenity.”
The Hyatt Regency Danang also won a place among the top ten resorts in Asia.
While Vietnam’s neighbors – Cambodia, Laos and Thailand – each won spots for their top tourist draws – Siem Reap, Luang Prabang, Bangkok and Chiang Mai – none of Vietnam’s top destinations placed on a list of the world’s 25 most alluring spots.
Nearly 77,000 participants cast votes for properties nominated in this year's Readers Choice Awards. About the same number of readers participated in last year’s survey, up from 46,000 readers in 2012.
The survey was first launched in 1988 by Condé Nast, one of the world's most prestigious magazine publishers. This year’s voting was conducted through a secure website, with responses tabulated by Equation Research. Readers evaluated candidates on a set of criteria using a standard five-point scale. Properties had to receive a required minimum number of responses to be eligible for an award.
