The Most Bang for Your Travel Buck: Expedia.com Releases 2012 Insiders' Select List of the World's Best-Reviewed Hotels

BELLEVUE, Wash., June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Expedia.com®, the world's leading online travel agency, today announced the Expedia® 2012 Insiders' Select® rankings, an annual crowd-sourced list of the world's best-reviewed hotels. Celebrating its 6th year, Insiders' Select rankings are largely determined by the more than 500,000 Expedia customer reviews received during the course of 2011. Hotels that consistently deliver value, in the form of competitive pricing, pristine amenities and superior customer service, will see that commitment rewarded in their ranking.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110121/SF33870LOGO-b)

Only 650 hotels from among the more than 150,000 properties available on Expedia sites are designated as Insiders' Select hotels. Marrol's Boutique Hotel, a five-star property in Bratislava, Slovakia, topped the 2012 Insiders' Select list, edging Hotel Al Codega of Venice, Italy. The top American hotel was the Four Seasons Miami, listed at number five. The top ten hotels in this year's ranking include:

1. Marrol's Boutique Hotel (5 stars, Bratislava, Slovakia)
2. Hotel Al Codega (4 stars, Venice, Italy)
3. Hotel Royal Corin (4 stars, Costa Rica)
4. Hilton Garden Inn Aberdeen (4 stars, Aberdeen, Scotland)
5. Four Seasons Miami (5 stars, Miami, Florida)
6. Madison Hotel Hamburg (4.5 stars, Hamburg/Hanover, Germany)
7. Element Omaha Midtown Crossing (3 stars, Omaha, Nebraska)
8. Sonnenalp Resort of Vail (4.5 stars, Vail-Beaver Creek, Colorado)
9. Taj Lands' End (5 stars, Mumbai, India)
10. Mr. C Beverly Hills (5 stars, Los Angeles, California)

"Expedia is excited to release our 2012 list of the World's Best-Reviewed hotels.  We call this list Expedia Insiders' Select.  The rankings are crowd-sourced, largely determined by the more than a half a million Expedia customer reviews received during the course of 2011. Which means real travelers have collectively found the hotels that offer the best value and quality," said Joe Megibow, vice president and general manager, Expedia.com. "Expedia Insiders' Select list gives customers options and confidence to feel like they are booking the right hotel for them. Whether they want a five star experience, a beach hotel or something that's family friendly, our customers will find the best we have to offer."

Only 35% of the 650 hotels are categorized as "luxury," leaving numerous options for travelers of every style and budget. In particular, "green/sustainable" hotels had an outsized presence in the final rankings, with nearly 17% of properties (108) meeting that definition. Included on the list are: 

• 87 hotels designated as "family friendly";
• 116 "beach hotels" including 32 in Mexico, which surpassed the 21 beach hotels in the United States; and
• 11 "ski friendly" hotels.

The 2012 Insiders' Select list reflects a cross-section of properties in different regions, representing various accommodation types and star ratings. The 650 hotels in the 2012 rankings are found in 295 cities in 74 countries. 28 percent of Insiders' Select hotels are in America, 25% in Europe, 3% in South America, 19% in Asia and 25% elsewhere.

Insiders' Select ranks hotels using three sets of data:

• More than 500,000 traveler opinions from reviews submitted by Expedia customers after completing a stay at a hotel booked on Expedia sites;
  • Expedia only accepts reviews from verified customers.
• A value rating that compares each property's average daily rates to similar properties to assess the hotel's relative market value; and
• The expertise of more than 650 Expedia market managers located in cities across the globe.

Hotels that are named to the Insiders' Select list stand to benefit from substantial exposure to the millions of consumers who visit Expedia sites to shop for and book travel every month. Recognition programs like Insiders' Select also underscore the significance of traveler opinions on the reputation and future success of a hotel.

Expedia.com travelers can find Insiders' Select hotels in the Hotel Preferences amenity drop-down menu. For more information on Insiders' Select, visit http://www.expedia.com/insidersselect.

B-roll and soundbites from Expedia will be available via satellite feed and download on Wednesday, June 27th, 2012.

Satellite feed details:

• 1:00-1:15 p.m. ET. (10:00-10:15 a.m. PT.)
• Galaxy 17 (KU) Digital,  TRANSPONDER 18 - Ch C
• FEC: 3/4   Symbol Rate: 6.1113   Downlink Frequency: 12064.5 (V) Bandwidth:  9 MHz

Download details:

• Available at 1:00p.m. ET (10:00a.m. PT)
• CASE SENSITIVE: http://ftp.magnosound.com
• LOGIN: expedia1    PASSWORD: InsidersSelect

The Satellite/Download Package will include:

• Soundbites from Expedia's Joe Megibow
• Images of Insiders Select regional winners
• B-roll of regional landmarks and a sampling of Insiders Select hotels

About Expedia.com

Expedia.com is the world's leading online travel site, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, resorts, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, and services. With the Expedia Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel.

Expedia, Expedia.com and the Airplane logo, Insiders' Select and the Insiders' Select logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Expedia, Inc.  All rights reserved.  CST # 2029030-50

SOURCE Expedia, Inc.