WALK into any hotel lobby these days and you will be greeted by a glitzy array of best-this-and-that awards, immaculate crystal engravings and parchment with ornate signatures, all revelling under the spotlight behind glass, for guests to marvel at. Hotel guests, too busy arguing over discreet charges for the nicked bathrobe and the surprisingly ravishing “wife” who turned up at the back entrance at 2am, are perhaps unaware that a great many are determined more by wily publishers with a keen commercial eye rather than readers in the know.

Travel polls are a dodgy exercise at best of times. People, foibles, ignorance, geography, access, poor spelling and outright deviousness conspire to thwart any meaningful attempt to define preferences at best of times. New brands crop up all the time. Old ones refresh their image constantly.

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Print polls are of necessity circumscribed by circulation. An online poll is by nature both democratic and global. It offers unique access and insights into global perceptions. And this is what the SmartTravelAsia.ComBEST IN TRAVEL POLL 2007 is all about. Perceptions, brand strengths and assumptions made by people qualified to wield their pens (or computer mouse) in this endeavour. Not everyone stayed at the resort or hotel they voted for – but several did. Their vote was based on actual experience, word-of-mouth through friends and colleagues, as well as an idea of the brand drawn from advertising and editorial exposure in the media, a great deal of this online. Brands with a strong media presence clearly benefited, while smaller boutique establishments gained votes via the dinner table grapevine.

Thanks to penetrative tools available to an online magazine, a large number of “block” votes and “stealth” attempts were detected and deleted. After extensive deductions, over 2,000 qualified votes were tabulated, weighted, and verified. Here’s how the readers of SmartTravelAsia.Com – the region’s only dedicated online travel magazine – voted.

Our poll ran for three key months May-July 2007 to catch prime frequent travellers around the world at various peak travel and Web activity periods. The poll, as in previous years, offered no alluring premium, no feel-good holidays with “Brangelina” to adopt any young hapless Africans not yet snapped up by Madonna. It was aimed at serious affluent travellers, people who know the difference between boutique and brash, class and crass.

On average, these voters took 14.79 air trips over the past 12 months (as many as 10.2 percent took over 40 air trips) and earned US$164,684 in household income. This makes them prime business and leisure travellers whose key interest is travel to (or within) Asia. As many as 60 percent of voters were based in Asia (largely Hongkong, Singapore, Australia, China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Japan), 20 percent in UK/Europe and 20 percent in USA and North America. Apart from the big regional blocs, readers voted from countries as diverse as Ukraine, Russia, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Mexico, the UAE, Israel and Macau, outlining their perceptions of brand leaders based on a sizeable amount of actual travel and “brand image” drawn from various sources.

As many as 89 percent of voters said they drew their primary brand information and “image” from the Internet, with eight percent looking to print media and 2.9 percent, television. And as many as 85.9 percent said they made travel decisions online “frequently” but only after sourcing “independent information”. An overwhelming 83.9 percent said that online their primary interest was in “information and reviews” and only 16.1 percent said their prime activity was pursuing “best prices”. Clearly research comes before retail.

What emerges is an interesting picture of “expected” candidates and a few surprises. Some major brands have lost ground to smaller players offering greater personalisation – and a human being at the other end of the phone line. On judgement here was not the five stars (or six, or seven in some cases), but the overall appeal based on factors like location, ambience, service, efficiency, welcome, and perception. The human element was of paramount importance. Aircraft hardware is not what brings about executive bliss aloft, but service, smiles, and people who take the trouble to go the extra mile. At the end of the day, branding is as much about visibility, as it is about the essential nature, quality and delivery of the product.

With just about everything from posh spas to mom-and-pop shops clamouring for attention on the Internet it has become imperative today to be seen, and in the right forums. On then to the winners of our 2007 Best in Travel Poll results. Who were these aspirational brands?

WORLDWIDE
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. Singapore Airlines	2
2. Cathay Pacific Airlines	1
3. Thai Airways International	3
4. Emirates	4
5. British Airways     Air France	7 -
6. Japan Airlines	-
7. Lufthansa	10
8. Virgin Atlantic	5
9. Malaysia Airlines	8
10. Jet Airways      Qantas	- 10

There were not too many surprises in this category as the Asian heavyweights slugged it out – as usual, leaving most European contenders well behind. It came down, as before, to two superb airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Singapore Airlines to vie for top spot in this prized category. Ranked first in the Best Airline Worldwide 2007 category was Singapore Airlines, which garnered a healthy 16.13 percent of the popular vote. SIA was ranked second in 2006 and climbed significantly in 2007 to beat its Hongkong-based rival. Cathay Pacific Airways, which placed first in 2006, ranked a strong second though its total votes in this category plummeted to 13.7 percent (compared with a whopping 32.4 percent in 2006). Still, along with Singapore Airlines, it remains well above the general fray.

It is usually a close fight all around between these two premier Asian carriers. Singapore Airlines maintains a formidable brand image and, clearly, this combined favourably with its impeccable service, welcoming smiles and generally perceived English competence in-flight. The poll incorporated overall brand perceptions of staff, service, in-flight comfort, seat comfort, legroom, in-flight entertainment and business features. Above all it was a measure of systemwide airline consistency and dependability.

Coming in third in the Best Airlines Worldwide category (the same rank as in 2006) is smooth-as-silk Thai Airways International with 5.31 percent of the vote. The airline has gone through considerable overhaul and upgrade with new aircraft, new livery, new longhaul routes, and enhanced inflight entertainment. Maintaining a steady cruise in fourth spot is UAE carrier Emirates (also ranked fourth in 2006). Fifth spot goes jointly to British Airways and Air France. British Airways ranked seventh in 2006.

The best of the rest in the Top Ten comprises of, in rank order, Japan Airlines (JAL) in sixth place, Lufthansa, the efficient German behemoth in seventh position, jaunty Virgin Atlantic in eighth place, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) in ninth place and surprise contender Jet Airways from India and Qantas jointly ranked in tenth place. MAS dropped one position from 2006 where it ranked eighth. Jet Airways’ arrival may raise eyebrows in some quarters but it has grown substantially over the past year with international operations now taking in destinations like London, Brussels, New York, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok. This breezy alternative clearly won more than a few fans willing to try out a new brand.

See also our Business Class Seats comparisons story as well as our Economy Class Survey.

WORLDWIDE
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. Singapore Airlines	1
2. Cathay Pacific Airways	2
3. Thai Airways International	3
4. Malaysia Airlines	7
5. Emirates     Silkair	6 6
6. Virgin Atlantic	5
7. British Airways	9
8. Japan Airlines	10
9. Lufthansa	-
10. Sri Lankan Airlines      Bangkok Airways	4 7

People certainly do count. Ask any traveller what he remembers about his last flight, and it will be the crew. Get a great crew and the airline scores. Run into a crew on a bad no-smiles day (or on a less preferred route) and any money spent on image is squandered. On the service scorecard there was no doubt about the 2007 winner. The Best Cabin Service Worldwide 2007 award goes to Singapore Airlines (which was also ranked first in 2006). SIA bagged 13.5 percent of the 2007 vote, again out of a field of well over 80 international airlines. Coming in second is Cathay Pacific Airways (also ranked second in 2006) with 9.8 percent of the vote. The lower percentages reflect a broad voting split among several carriers.

Ranked third for the Best Cabin Service Worldwide (the same as in 2006) is Thai Airways International, a perennial favourite with executive travellers and families. The airline’s brand image has continued to strengthen especially in the crucial service area. Ranked fourth is Malaysian Airlines (MAS), which secured seventh place in 2006. This is a big climb up, perhaps reflecting a general global preference for Asian service. In joint fifth place are Emirates and the regional SIA feeder airline SilkAir.

Making up the rest of the Top Ten for excellence in in-flight service, in descending order, are Virgin Atlantic in sixth position, British Airways in seventh, Japan Airlines (JAL) in eighth place, Lufthansa in ninth, with the tenth slot shared by Sri Lankan Airlines and the small but growing boutique airline, Bangkok Airways. India’s Jet Airways missed the top ten but parked on a nearby apron in a creditable eleventh place. Other airlines noted by our worldwide readers for excellence in cabin service include Philippine Airlines, Air France, India’s Kingfisher Airlines, and Qantas.

ASIA
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. AirAsia	1
2. Jetstar Asia	2
3. Nok Air	4
4. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines	-
5. Tiger Airways	7
6. Cebu Pacific     One-Two-Go Airlines	10 -
7. Air Deccan	5
8. Virgin Blue	3
9. Spice Jet	-
10. Viva Macau	-

The emergence of Asia’s new and remarkably popular budget airlines required the introduction of a brand new category in 2006. Our 2007 list has grown to include newcomers. It has also bid farewell to other carriers that have grown into full-fledged full-service airlines. Not all travellers may be well acquainted with them but everyone knows someone who has flown a no-frills carrier – and returned to tell the tale. For families and even, sometimes, executives in a jam, cheap flights have come in handy, gradually opening up more and more of Asia, from capital cities to remote holiday or small corporate meetings locations that might otherwise have remained firmly off the map.

The Best Budget Airline in Asia poll is a broad measure of the newer airlines' ability to deliver not just low prices and cheap tickets, but also reliable schedules, decent service - and the occasional smile. Route network and access play a major role.

Leading the charge, and by a wide margin, is colourful and feisty AirAsia with 22 percent of the vote (it secured 25.2 percent in 2006). As the signature red-tail airline that defined budget flights in Asia, it clearly outstripped its rivals by a wide margin of over 15 percent. Placed second was Jetstar Asia, which has won increasing support for efficient service and reliable operations. It polled 6.97 percent of the vote. Ranked third best Asian budget airline was Thai Airways International feeder carrier Nok Air. Nok Air has made huge strides within Thailand and recently added flights from Bangkok to Bangalore (with vast shopper discounts for Thailand-bound passengers).

Newcomer Oasis Hong Kong Airlines polled fourth best Asian budget airline with Singapore-based Tiger Airways coming in fifth. The remaining Asian budget airlines in the Top Ten in descending order were, the popular Cebu Pacific and One-Two-Go Airlines in joint sixth place, India’s southern-based Air Deccan in seventh place, Australia’s Virgin Blue in eighth, India’s Spice Jet in ninth and the new VIVA Macau in tenth place. More on these emerging airlines in our Small Airlines of Asia story.

ASIA
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. Bali, Indonesia	1
2. Phuket, Thailand	2
3. Kerala, India	3
4. Hong Kong	6
5. Maldives	5
6. Bangkok, Thailand     Rajasthan, India	4 9
7. Boracay, Philippines     Palawan, Philippines	- 7
8. Koh Samui, Thailand	-
9. Shanghai, China     Ladakh, India     Hua Hin, Thailand	- - -
10. Sabah, Malaysia      Angkor (Siem Reap), Cambodia      Bagan, Myanmar	10 - -

Polling holiday destinations is always fun, but tricky. Dreams are peculiar to countries and communities. Just as the westernised Japanese race to the beach to revel in the sun, Indians head for shade and cool hill resorts. Shopping-mad Hongkongers head for the malls, Australians chase the surf and Brits sip Singapore slings in musty colonial retreats.

Ranked first as the Best Holiday Destination in Asia with 23.2 percent of the vote is the other worldly “Island of the Gods”, Bali, Indonesia’s No. 1 tourist son. The island ranked first on our poll in 2006 too. It is an island that has retained its disarmingly honest and simple charm, a peaceful ritual-minded Hindu enclave in a bustling Muslim country. Above all, despite the burgeoning ranks of the t-shirt vendors and temple touts, Bali still retains a great deal of authenticity. Voted the second best destination for an Asian holiday was the eternally popular Thai island of Phuket. This Thai island (linked by a bridge) was voted in second position in 2006 as well. It held its position easily despite troubles in south Thailand and political uncertainties. Clearly, its string of wonderful beaches, fine food, nightlife and that special Thai can-do hospitality, remain a big draw for travellers. In general, Thailand remains a big favourite as our Top Ten List suggests.

Ranked third best Asian holiday destination (as in 2006) is the South Indian idyll of Kerala, long a favourite of the get-away-from-it-all crowd. Known for its verdant rice paddy fields, cool mountains clad in mist-wreathed tea estates, beaches, and welcoming, literate, head-nodding population, Kerala is one of three Indian destinations to dominate the top ten.

Ranked fourth best Asian holiday destination is a neon-powered metropolis, the universally popular Hong Kong, one of two vibrant cities to rank as a top holiday destination. Hong Kong climbed up from sixth position in 2006. Following closely in fifth position is the picture-postcard but expensive getaway of the Maldives. This is the same rank it held last year.

Ranked jointly in sixth place are Bangkok (ranked fourth in 2006) and Rajasthan (ranked ninth in 2006), followed in joint seventh position by Boracay and Palawan (both in The Philippines). Palawan maintained its rank while Boracay is a newcomer to the Top Ten List. Clusters of destinations follow – Koh Samui (Thailand) in eighth place; Shanghai, Ladakh (India) and Hua Hin (Thailand) in joint ninth position; and Sabah (Malaysia), Angkor (Siem Reap, Cambodia), and Bagan (Myanmar) in joint tenth place.

Our poll revealed the continued dominance of Thailand as a "holiday brand" and the strong emergence of India in the wake of an aggressive "Incredible India" campaign. Bali held top spot - and by a wide margin - demonstrating that integrity and authenticity can attract visitor votes, and dollars. This is a reassuring message in an age of instantly bottled and serially manufactured destinations where neon and crocodile shows push anything of substance off the stage.

ASIA
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. Hong Kong	1
2. Singapore	2
3. Bangkok, Thailand	3
4. Shanghai, China	4
5. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	5
6. Sydney, Australia	7
7. Tokyo, Japan	6
8. Beijing, China	10
9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates	-
10. Seoul, Korea	-

Sweeping the 2007 poll as the Best City for Business in Asia with a staggering 50.7 percent of the vote is Hong Kong. This super city, often attracting flak for its impersonal attitude, secured a mammoth total, well ahead of closest rival Singapore, which cruised in a distant second with 13.3 percent. Yes, in Hong Kong, things work. Telephones, transport and taxis are a doddle. And coming in third is Bangkok, the “City of Angels” and, more recently, the BTS Skytrain and Underground Metro that have suddenly transformed the business landscape. All three cities held the same positions they had in 2006.

The Best City for Business category took in perceptions and actual experiences of business travellers in dealing with a range of factors like efficiency of transport and general services, signposting, hotels, airport and so on. Clearly, cities with efficient airports and good hotels offer the sort of executive “infrastructure” required to pull ahead of the pack.

Shanghai with its aggressive can-do attitude polled as the fourth best Asian business city and burgeoning Kuala Lumpur squeezed in fifth, both cities maintaining their 2006 rank. Ranked sixth is sedate Sydney followed by the delightful, if inscrutable, Tokyo, in seventh place, Olympic host city Beijing in eighth (up from 10th in 2006), Dubai in ninth and ever-hopping Seoul in tenth.

WORLDWIDE
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. Hong Kong International Airport	1
2. Singapore Changi Airport	2
3. Kuala Lumpur International Airport	3
4. Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok	-
5. Incheon International Airport, Korea	5
6. Pudong International Airport, China	7
7. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands	6
8. Koh Samui Airport, Thailand	4
9. Zurich Airport, Switzerland	-
10. Frankfurt Airport, Germany	10

Leading a field of over one hundred airports around the world in our Best Airport Worldwide category is Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok with 22.4 percent of the votes. The airport (which ranked first in 2006 too) was well clear of second-ranked rival Singapore Changi Airport which secured 16.8 percent of the votes. Clearly, the extension of shopping facilities and the emergence of colour – carpets, comfortable seating, and potted trees – has taken some of the sting out of Changi’s assault.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport, a glass-and-steel marvel with sunshine streaming in to spotlight wooded reserves, ranked as the third best airport in the world, but positioned considerably below Hongkong and Singapore. Ranked fourth best airport worldwide is the new Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok, which has had its share of teething troubles but is a vast improvement on the Don Muang Airport. Ranked fifth best airport in the world is the gleaming and futuristic Incheon International Airport (Seoul), with Pudong International Airport (Shanghai) in sixth place, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in seventh, the small and utterly delightful Koh Samui Airport (Thailand) run by Bangkok Airways in eighth place, Zurich Airport in ninth and Frankfurt Airport in tenth place. Breezy Koh Samui Airport dropped several positions from number four in 2006 but remains a surprising and welcome member of the Big Boys’ Top Ten club.

ASIA
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. The Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong	1
2. The Peninsula Hong Kong	5
3. The Fullerton Hotel Singapore	4
4. Conrad Bangkok	3
5. Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong	-
6. Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong     InterContinental Hong Kong	7 2
7. Grand Hyatt Hong Kong	10
8. Four Seasons Hotel Singapore     Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok	14 9
9. Grand Hyatt Shanghai	-
10. JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong      Raffles Hotel Singapore	11 -
11. The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore	-
12. Hilton Kuala Lumpur	6
13. The Westin Chosun, Seoul	15
14. Pudong Shangri-la Shanghai      The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong      Shangri-La Makati, Manila	20 - -
15. JW Marriott Bangkok	8
16. InterContinental Bangkok	-
17. The Peninsula Manila	-
18. Conrad Hong Kong	23
19. The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Brunei	22
20. Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur	21
21. Hilton Hanoi Opera      The Sukhothai Bangkok	17 -
22. Plaza Athenee Bangkok, A Royal Meridien Hotel, Bangkok	-
23. Oberoi New Delhi	-
24. The Peninsula Bangkok	-
25. Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong      The Westin Shanghai      Park Hyatt Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City	23 12 13

Looking at Hongkong’s financial pre-eminence, and brutal efficiency, it is perhaps not surprising that as many as seven of the Top Ten hotels in the Best Business Hotels of Asia poll are from this one city alone. In 2006, six Hong Kong hotels achieved that distinction. But Singapore, Bangkok and even Shanghai put up a fight. Given the large number of potential properties in each hotel category – a potential field of over 800 – voting is considerably split with very tight margins. Several hotels have been common-ranked in the 2007 tabulation as a result.

Pulling strongly away from the general field with 17.1 percent of the vote as the best Asian business hotel is the efficient, welcoming and well-sited The Island Shangri-La Hong Kong (it ranked first in 2006 as well). The Island Shangri-La enjoys an excellent location, close to offices, major financial centres, and glitzy shopping at the Pacific Place mall. It also offers some fine dining venues, some with harbour views, like the classic top-floor Restaurant Petrus that also boasts one of the most extensive wine lists in Asia.

Ranked second best Asian business hotel with 16.7 percent of the vote is another Hong Kong landmark with a chequered history, The Peninsula Hong Kong. The hotel ranked fifth in 2006 and now moves up three positions. This gracious property with its rococo gilt-work lobby and old-world charm – now married with a tower block that also hosts a popular penthouse bar and restaurant – dominates the central Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.

Ranked a close third, this time from a more sedate and tropical island, is the stately and colonial, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. A former post office, The Fullerton, with its soaring Doric columns, atrium lobby and splendid dining facilities was ranked fourth in 2006 and moves up one crucial spot to join the Top Three. It secured a creditable 15.2 percent of the votes cast in this category. This splendid Singapore business hotel breaks the myth that business travellers go for a “standardised” and dull experience. The Fullerton also enjoyed the added distinction of coming in as the best business hotel in Singapore, outclassing the competition.

Ranked fourth best Asian business hotel (modestly down one position from 2006) is the stylish silk-and-wood Conrad Bangkok that continues to turn pin-striper heads as a business, leisure and conference hotel. It is a chic address with snappy service and relentlessly attentive staff. Smart silk uniforms reflect its aspiration to be not just great but stylishly different. The Conrad Bangkok also has the distinction of being ranked as the best business hotel in Bangkok.

Closely following on the heels of the Conrad Bangkok in fifth place is the spanking new (but reassuringly old-world and marbled) Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, back after a one-year refurbishment hiatus. Its dramatic spring back despite the long closure reflects the loyalty of its “fan” club as well as positive feedback for its remodelled restaurants, new interiors and swish spa.

Sixth position is shared by two more Hongkong heavies. One is smart newcomer the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong that is conveniently conjoined at the hip with the towering IFC office and shopping blocks, near the Star Ferry terminal. It offers unobstructed harbour views and a fine spa. The other is the InterContinental Hong Kong that gazes regally at it from across the harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui. The InterContinental, notionally less well placed from a business point of view, has had no problem holding its own against some top-class competition proving the “other side” can wield clout too. It has however dropped four positions (from second spot) since the 2006 poll. This Hong Kong business hotel offers an airy lobby with spectacular harbour and island views, new-look rooms, a grand presidential suite, and excellent service.

In seventh position is the ever-popular Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, another versatile contender with seeming acres of gleaming black marble, fine F&B, great convention space, wraparound harbour views and the Plateau Spa. Its proximity to the Hong Kong Conventions and Exhibition Centre is an added plus. The Grand Hyatt has climbed two significant spots since 2006 when it was ranked tenth in this category. Eighth position in 2007 is again shared, this time by the cosy but crisp Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok. Both hotels cater with equal aplomb for business travellers, leisure trippers and corporate meetings. The Four Seasons Singapore offers a boutique environment and a clubby feel close to Orchard Road while the larger Sheraton in Bangkok is well positioned right next to the elevated BTS SkyTrain and the Underground Metro.

Voted in ninth position is the sky-piercing Grand Hyatt Shanghai. The hotel is an architect’s dream with gleaming metal and glass riveted in a spellbinding array, floor after floor, rising up the Jin Mao Tower in Pudong. Touted as the “highest hotel in the world” the lobby is on the 53rd floor. The Grand Hyatt Shanghai also has the distinction of placing as the best business hotel in Shanghai, skating past the post well before the competition. And ranked tenth are joint candidates, the colonial, starched and laundered Raffles Hotel Singapore and the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong.

Some of the other hotels ranked in the Top 25 List in this hard-fought category include The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore (11th), Hilton Kuala Lumpur (12th, down from sixth in 2006), The Westin Chosun, Seoul, (13th, up two spots from 15th in 2006), and in joint 14th spot, Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, and the Shangri-La Makati, Manila. The JW Marriott Bangkok steamed in 15th (losing a few positions since 2006 when it ranked eighth). Also in this select company, among others, are The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Brunei, The Sukhothai, Bangkok, Plaza Athenee Bangkok, Oberoi New Delhi and Park Hyatt Saigon.

ASIA
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. Amanpuri, Phuket	3
2. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay	2
3. Amandari, Bali	1
4. The Legian Bali	11
5. The Datai, Langkawi     The Peninsula Bangkok	5 7
6. Grand Hyatt Bali	16
7. The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur	-
8. Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa Rangali Island, Maldives	4
9. Sofitel Metropole Hanoi	8
10. Soneva Gili Resort & Spa, Maldives	19
11. The Ritz-Carlton Bali	-
12. The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Brunei      The Oriental Bangkok	9 10
13. Bulgari Resort Bali	-
14. Amankila, Bali      Twinpalms Phuket	- 16
15. JW Marriott Phuket Resort And Spa      El Nido Resort Lagen Island, Palawan	14 17
16. Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai      The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra      Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas, Hua Hin	- - -
17. The Sukhothai, Bangkok	20
18. Soneva Fushi Resort & Spa, Maldives	-
19. Banyan Tree Phuket      One & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai	15 -
20. The Chedi Chiang Mai      Sheraton Haikou Resort, Hainan	- 12
21. Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort, KK	13
22. Amanusa, Bali      Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort & Spa	- 25
23. Raffles Grand Hotel D'Angkor      The Chedi, Phuket	20 19
24. Alila Ubud, Bali      Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore      Neemrana Fort Palace, Rajasthan	- 9 -
25. Alegre Beach Resort, Cebu      The Imperial New Delhi	- -

Perhaps the most romantic and coveted award is that of the Best Leisure Hotel & Resort, evoking visions of wondrous sun-dappled far pavilions, unblemished service and endless grape-fed pampering on white-sand beaches. Here again, out of a field of over 800, options were unlimited but readers narrowed things down, picking a range of resorts in diverse locations as well as a few signature city hotels that made the cut.

Ranked the best leisure hotel/resort in Asia, is the exquisitely-crafted and timeless Amanpuri, Phuket, whose Thai-style villas spill luxuriously down a mature coconut grove to one of the island’s best beaches. Amanpuri was voted in third place by SmartTravelAsia.Com readers in 2006. Amanpuri is also home to the first Aman Spa by Amanresorts. This year it pulled in an amazing 19.40 percent of the vote to dominate the field, aided greatly by the continued popularity of Phuket as a holiday getaway.

Ranked the second best Asian resort (holding its 2006 rank) is a Bali icon, the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay. This is a larger property perched atop a breezy hillside overlooking a long coastal stretch. Four Seasons offers elegant villas, several with private pools, spa treatments and panoramic views.

In third position is the atmospheric yet understated and faithfully traditional Amandari, Bali. Perched above Ubud’s Ayung River gorge, the resort’s private villa compounds wander down manicured green acres past a cliff-edge emerald pool towards the sacred waters of the river below. Amandari is authentic, uncluttered and a genuine retreat. It is a serene hideaway that has been emulated the world over. Amandari was ranked first in 2006.

Surfing in fourth on the back of the huge Bali wave and lending a contemporary chic feel to the happening Seminyak Beach area is The Legian Bali. This hotel-style getaway has been popular with honeymooners and romantics and now sports spa facilities and a private Club. The Legian was ranked 11th in 2006 and is one of the fastest upward movers in our poll. Sharing fifth spot are The Peninsula Bangkok (7th in 2006) and The Datai, Langkawi (also 5th in 2006). The Datai’s spectacular rainforest location and brand allure contributed to its performance while The Peninsula Bangkok gained points with a new Thai-style spa area and its laid-back riverside setting. The Datai is Malaysia’s foremost eco resort and care has been taken to avoid intrusion into the pristine environs. Along with sister property The Legian, it is run by the Singapore-based GHM group.

Voted the sixth best Asian resort is the newly refurbished Grand Hyatt Bali (16th in 2006) with extended conference and spa facilities. It has been one of the more popular family resorts since it placed the tourist enclave of Nusa Dua firmly on the travel map. A surprise arrival in seventh is the regal palace-style The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, in Rajasthan, India. It is one of the fastest climbers on our poll in any category reflecting in part the search for new destinations, not necessarily by the beach, and the demand for authentic, historical escape.

Ranked eighth on the 2007 poll is the reconstructed Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa, Rangali Island (4th in 2006). Sited in a breathtaking picture-postcard setting with emerald waters and sugar-white beaches, this large island resort offers stilted over-water villas, a tremendous spa experience, and water sports to suit all tastes.

Not far behind in ninth place is the grand dame of Vietnam, the Sofitel Metropole Hanoi (8th in 2006). This is a white, starched, colonial-era hotel with inviting nooks and corners, splendidly positioned right across from the much-photographed and characterful Opera House. It is one of those rare hotels that successfully combine business amenities and meetings options with a sense of romance. And sailing effortlessly into tenth spot is the soothingly elegant Soneva Gili Resort & Spa, Maldives (up several places from 19th in 2006) buoyed somewhat by the popularity of the Maldives as a luxury sun-and-sand playground for just about everyone.

Other high-ranked aspirational brands in the Top Ten List include The Ritz-Carlton Bali (11th); golf getaway The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Brunei, and The Oriental Bangkok (joint 12th); the elegant and newly-opened Bulgari Resort Bali (13th); Amankila, Bali and Twinpalms Phuket (joint 14th); and JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa, and El Nido Resort Lagen Island, Palawan, Philippines (joint 15th). The contemporary and stylish Twinpalms climbed two spots up from 2006 while the JW Marriott Phuket dropped one position from 14th in 2006. The secluded dive resort of El Nido Lagen has also gained two positions in the 2007 poll.

The remainder of the Top 25 List for Best Leisure Hotel/Resort in Asia includes celebrated properties like The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India, Al Maha Desert Resort, Dubai, Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas, Hua Hin, Thailand (formerly Sofitel Central), The Sukhothai, Bangkok, Soneva Fushi Resort & Spa, Maldives, Banyan Tree Phuket, One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai, The Chedi Chiang Mai, and the Sheraton Haikou Resort, Hainan, China. Also rated highly by readers, are the hideaway Alila Ubud, Bali, Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore, Alegre Beach Resort, Cebu, Philippines, and The Imperial New Delhi.

ASIA
2007 Rank	2006 Rank
1. The Ritz-Carlton, Bali	12
2. Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa Rangali Island, Maldives	1
3. The Peninsula Bangkok	-
4. Four Seasons Resort Bali At Jimbaran Bay, Bali	-
5. Amanpuri, Aman Spa, Phuket    Soneva Gili Resort & Spa, Maldives	6 10
6. Pangkor Laut Resort	4
7. Banyan Tree Phuket     Sila Evason Hideaway & Spa, Koh Samui	2 -
8. Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai     Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai     Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong	- 9 8
9. JW Marriott Phuket Resort And Spa	3
10. Bulgari Resort Bali      COMO Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri, Bali      Conrad Bangkok	- 5 -
11. Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, Penang      The Tongsai Bay, Koh Samui	- 13
12. Conrad Bali Resort & Spa, Bali      The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, Rajasthan      The Oriental Bangkok	- - -
13. Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas, Hua Hin      Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai	- 24
14. Aleenta Resort & Spa Hua Hin	-
15. Anantara Resort & Spa Golden Triangle, Chiang Rai	11
16. Shangri-La Bangkok, Chi Spa	14
17. Plaza Athenee Bangkok, A Royal Meridien Hotel	-
18. Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa, Bangkok      InterContinental Resort Bali	- 6
19. Evason Hideaway & Spa at Hua Hin	-
20. Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort      Chiva Som Resort Hua Hin	- 25
21. Ananda in the Himalayas, Rishikesh	19
22. Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru, Male	-
23. The Landmark Hong Kong	15
24. Royal Pita Maha, Bali      Hotel Tugu Bali	- 7
25. The Sentosa Resort & Spa - A Beaufort Hotel, Singapore      The Chedi, Phuket      Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort & Spa Cebu	-   22 17

Any modern traveller worth his salt will be unable to string three sentences together without the word “spa resort” tossed in here or there, somewhere, anywhere. Spas have attained a certain cachet, so much so that just about every place with a mug and running water claims to be a spa resort. Not so. The arts are ancient – and specific – even if the delivery is modern and the setting contemporary. On then to our Top 25 List of the best Asian spa resorts.

Ranked the Best Spa Hotel in Asia with 13.6 percent of the votes cast in this category, is the sprawling The Ritz-Carlton Bali Resort & Spa. This breezy and secluded retreat features its own 22,000sq m hydrotherapy Thalasso & Spa – almost a resort within a resort. Amidst the gardens and water-features, are the spa villas and a huge "aquatonic' pool. Another clear favourite in this category, is the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa, Rangali Island. It ranked first in 2006 and has dropped a sliver to second spot on the 2007 Best in Travel Poll, just 0.1 percent behind The Ritz-Carlton. The Spa Retreat offers 21 water villas and treatment rooms. But, for a true-blue marine experience, head five metres below to an exclusive wine cellar and a glassed-in underwater restaurant.

The luxurious riverside The Peninsula Bangkok was voted a strong third, registering the fastest year-on-year climb up any of our hotel Top 25 Lists. The hotel’s spa is a joint development with the spa consultancy ESPA. The spa occupies a characterful three-storey Thai colonial-style building overlooking the river and set in the hotel’s lush gardens. It has 18 treatment rooms, including four couples’ rooms.

Voted fourth best spa hotel in Asia is the elegant Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, sited on a verdant headland with open views along Jimbaran Bay. The Spa at Jimbaran Bay is near the sea and utilises sea-salt crystals, seaweed and natural ingredients. Guests tend to start off with a relaxing rain shower before heading on for a three-hour Sea Mint Detoxifying Ritual or the Papaya Hibiscus Sugar Scrub, just some of the many exotic menus on offer.

In joint fifth place in the best Asian spa hotels category are the Thai-style Amanpuri, Phuket and its Aman Spa (the first by Amanresorts), and Soneva Gili Resort & Spa, Maldives (up from 10th place in 2006). The Aman Spa is set on a breezy headland just away from the teak pavilions and villas of the resort itself creating a sense of both space and serenity. Soneva Gili (from the Six Senses group) is engagingly eccentric, close to Malé, the capital island. Rooms here are born of fantasy, self-contained timbered enclaves sprouting from a lagoon. At the top end are the Private Reserves and Crusoe Residences. Some villas require a rowboat to shuttle you around.

Ranked sixth is popular Malaysian icon Pangkor Laut Resort, set in the azure Andaman Sea on a private island away from the hurly-burly of the peninsula. Despite growing competition in this category it has more or less maintained its spot, losing just two places since 2006 when it bagged fourth. Travel pilgrims the world over keep coming back religiously to the Spa Village at the Pangkor Laut Resort which has tended to some famous celebrities.

Ranked joint seventh in the best Asian spa resorts category are veteran spa leader Banyan Tree Phuket – a sprawling compound of pampered luxury in the family-friendly Laguna Phuket enclave – and the Sila Evason Hideaway & Spa, Koh Samui, Thailand. Banyan Tree Phuket was ranked second in 2006. It is the spa getaway that started the rubdown excitement with its stylishly Thai spa villas and authentic treatments, now almost an industry. Golf on the side remains a big draw. The Sila Evason Hideaway & Spa is another fast climber on the 2007 poll. The Hideaway Spa at the spread-out resort, managed by Six Senses Resorts & Spas and set on the northern tip of Samui Island, offers soothing treatments with a panoramic wraparound ocean view.

Jointly voted the eighth best Asian spa resorts are a disparate trio, one from the desert sands of Dubai, The UAE. In this hard-fought spot are the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai, the spacious and atmospheric Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai (ninth in 2006), and the crisp, modern and towering harbour-view Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. All properties provide a rather distinct brand of service, location and product.

In ninth position is a Phuket favourite, albeit far to the north of the island, the JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa. This is an all-in-one resort with tremendous kids’ facilities, conferencing, an eco-friendly disposition, and a dedicated spa where treatments can go on for a lifetime. With competition hotting up in the Best Asian Spa Hotels and Resorts category this popular escape dropped a few notches from number three in 2006.

And ranked a joint tenth are another trio of distinction. These include the new Bulgari Resort Bali, a designer getaway with cool touches, elegant black stone underfoot and cosy snuggeries for honeymooners, COMO Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri, Bali (ranked fif