Smart Meetings Announces 2014 Smart Stars Award Winners

SAUSALITO, Calif., May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart Meetings magazine has revealed the gold, silver and bronze winners of its annual Smart Stars Awards, which celebrate the best premier meetings hotels, resorts, cruise lines, event venues, convention and conference centers in North America.

"We are excited to congratulate the hotels, resorts and meeting venues in 25 categories that showcase how each excels, among their many outstanding attributes. It also gives our readers the opportunity to reward properties with future business," says Marin Bright, CEO and founder of Smart Meetings, the leading meetings industry trade publication. "The awards give many of these top-notch hotels and venues additional exposure for their extraordinary service and special features, and a chance to be in our TV special later this year."

Awards are given in the following categories and can be viewed at smartmeetings.com/smart-stars:

Best Airport Hotel
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport (Gold)
Radisson Blu Mall of America (Silver)
The Fairmont Vancouver Airport (Bronze)

Best Attraction/Theme Park
Universal Orlando Resort (G)
Walt Disney World Resort (S)
Georgia Aquarium (B)

Best Ballroom
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel (G)
The Langham Huntington, Pasadena (S)*
Waldorf Astoria New York (S)
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa (B)

Best Beach Resort
Paradisus Punta Cana Resort (G)
Hotel del Coronado (S)
Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa (B)

Best Boutique Hotel
The Nines, Portland (G)
Hutton Hotel (S)
The Inn on Fifth (B)

Best City Hotel
Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago (G)*
Taj Boston (G)
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco (S)
The Fairmont Dallas (B)

Best Coastal Hotel
Kiawah Island Golf Resort (G)
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay (S)
Resort at Pelican Hill (B)

Best Conference Center
The Hotel Hershey (G)
The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center (S)
Aspen Meadows Resort (B)

Best Convention Center
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (G)
Oregon Convention Center (S)
George R. Brown Convention Center (B)

Best Convention Center Hotel
Gaylord National (G)
Hyatt Regency New Orleans (S)
Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino (B)

Best Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line (G)
Royal Caribbean International (S)
Seabourn Cruise Line (B)

Best Desert Hotel
The Phoenician (G)
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (S)
La Quinta Resort & Club (B)

Best Eco/Green Hotel
Hyatt at Olive 8 (G)
Ventana Inn (S)
Hotel Terra Jackson Hole (B)

Best Executive Retreat Hotel
The Lodge at Vail (G)
Zoetry Casa del Mar Los Cabos (S)
Villas of Grand Cypress (B)

Best Family Friendly Hotel/Resort
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort (G)
The Omni Homestead Resort (S)
KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort (B)

Best Gaming/Casino Hotel
ARIA Resort & Casino (G)*
Foxwoods Resort Casino (G)
Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Hotel (S)
Caesars Palace Las Vegas (B)

Best Golf Resort
The Broadmoor (G)
The Lodge at Torrey Pines (S)
Grand Traverse Resort & Spa (B)*
Silverado Resort and Spa (B)

Best Historic Hotel
Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac (G)
Boston Park Plaza Hotel (S)
The Pfister Hotel (B)

Best Hotel Pool
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa (G)
The Raleigh Hotel (S)
The Joule, Dallas (B)

Best Hotel Spa
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa (G)
The Greenbrier (S)*
The Venetian (S)
The Resort At Paws Up (B)

Best Incentive Hotel
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort (G)
The Grand Del Mar (S)
Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort (B)

Best Island Resort
Atlantis Paradise Island (G)
The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach (S)
The Buccaneer on St. Croix (B)

Best Mountain/Ski Resort
The St. Regis Aspen Resort (G)
Fairmont Banff Springs (S)
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe (B)*
The Sebastian – Vail (B)

Best Outdoor Event Space
The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation (G)
The Mountain Winery (S)
NBC Universal Backlot (B)

Best Special Event Venue
Montreal Space for Life (G)
Hard Rock Cafe New Orleans (S)
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (B)

*Indicates tie

Smart Meetings is published monthly in print and online, by Bright Business Media, LLC, based in Sausalito, Calif. BBM also hosts www.smartmeetings.com and produces Smart Meetings events that connect meeting professionals with premier hotel and destination representatives. 415-339-9355.

Media contact: Josef Aukee, 415-339-9355

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SOURCE Bright Business Media, LLC