Tis the season, folks. The Condé Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards are out for 2019... and the lists are beyond terrible.
For context:
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/t...s-in-the-world
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/b...s-in-the-world
Even after reading through their simplistic methodology (600,000 votes cast, the most popular win), I can't understand how on earth the lists produced reflect the "Best Hotels in the World" or "Best Resorts in the World".
If you skim the lists, you will see a notable absence of any Aman, Four Seasons (apart from FS Surfside), St. Regis, One&Only, Belmond, Peninsula, or Singita property. You know, the brands famous for providing the most luxurious experiences and being the top of the industry. It seems there is no weight given whatsoever to travellers who actually travel frequently and stay at enough hotels and resorts to be able to contribute to rankings. How someone like Lyn Middlehurst ranks hotels is far more valuable than the ballot submitted by someone who takes one vacation every 3 years to a popular resort in the Caribbean.
Anyone who has been can agree that Laucala Island is one of the best resorts in the world. Same with The Brando or North Island. None of those are on the list. Instead, the 282-room Ayana Resort and Spa in Bali aka Instagram paradise makes the list. You definitely won't find The Upper House or Amanoi or Clayoquot or Singita Boulders or FS George V on the list. Oh, but Intercontinenal Da Nang is supposedly the fifth best resort in the world.
RCA rankings have no impact on my travel choices, but they likely influence a large part of the CN Traveler reader base. What is your take?