Six Senses Hideaway Samui has been voted Best in the World, being crowned the 1st spot on the Readers’ Travel Awards Top 100 by the renowned Condé Nast Traveler magazine, while Thailand — home to the world’s “warmest welcome” — ranks 4th in the best-country ranking.

A luxury hotel on the island of Samui Thailand — The Six Senses Hideaway Samui — wins this year’s top spots in the Best Overseas Hotel (Asia & India Subcontinent) and the Top 100 Best in the World categories, in the 2008 survey by the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

In addition, two of Thailand’s islands are picked in the top 15 Island category, while the country is also home to five of the best hotels in Asia & India Subcontinent category. The awards were announced on September 1, 2008.

Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Travel Awards Top 100 is determined by votes from the magazine’s readers, compiled among all categories into the ultimate “best of the best” Top 100 list. The categories include countries, islands, cities, hotels, resorts, destination spas, cruise lines, airlines, airports, tour operators, and villa-rental companies. Being named the best of the Top 100 is indeed a crowning achievement for any hotel or destination.

Announcing this year’s top winner, Condé Nast Traveler magazine states: “Six Senses Hideaway Samui on the Thai island of Koh Samui not only walked away with the award for the best hotel in Asia & The Indian Subcontinent, but scored so highly that it made the number one spot in our 'best of the best' Top 100.” The hotel achieves a score of 96.45 in the overall ranking.”

Further commenting on the scores achieved by the Six Senses Hideaway Samui, the magazine summarizes the winner’s remarkable qualities: “Every one of you (the readers) who has stayed there raved about its sophisticated ambience/decor (93.75), environmental friendliness (97.50), lovely location (97) and extensive leisure facilities (96.25).”

Meanwhile, even though Thailand as a destination does not take the top spot on the Country category, it is comfortably voted 4th in the overall ranking. Achieving a score of 91.39, Thailand is ranked only after New Zealand (95.11), India (94.11) and Italy (91.44). In the Island category, the Thai island of Samui (Koh Samui) comes 5th, while Phuket island ranks on the 13th place. Evidently, Thailand is the only country in this category to have two locations rated in the top 15.

And despite being voted 4th in the Country category, the proverbial “land of smiles” still maintains its charms as a truly unique destination with deep-rooted cultures, traditions and charming heritage. The country achieves a “heartfelt” score of 97.68 for the people/ hospitality category, again reaffirming the warm and welcoming quality of the Thai people. In its online version, Condé Nast Traveler concludes that Thailand is where visitors are “guaranteed” to meet “the world’s warmest welcome.”

Last but not least, the top five best hotels in Asia & The Indian Subcontinent category include four hotels from Thailand, namely The Chedi Phuket (92.22, 2nd), Amanpuri Phuket (91.48, 4th), The Four Seasons Resort Chiangmai (90.29, 5th). In a competitive world of luxury hotels and resorts with myriad high-quality properties, the fact that Thailand has some of the world’s best hotels and resorts is a strong testament that the country is a truly unique and favorite destination among international travelers.

To read more about the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Travel Award, please visit www.cntraveller.com/ReadersAwards/2008

For more information about The Six Senses Hideaway Samui, please visit: www.sixsenses.com/Six-Senses-Hideaways

Source: Six Senses Hideaway Samui release dated September 9, 2008