The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018

– The top cities with Most Wanted properties in the U.S. are New York, Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C. and Austin, Texas

– Guest reviews are growing in power, packing more of a punch than star ratings

– American hotels named best for boutique, business, beach, family, spa, ski, luxury, newcomer and LGBT

DALLAS, April 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Nearly 1,500 hotels in the U.S. have battled it out all year to be crowned the ‘Most Wanted’ properties worldwide in the Hotels.com ^® Loved by Guests Awards 2018, where the judges are the guests themselves.Hotels.com believes that the way to find the ‘Most Wanted’ properties is to ask the customers themselves… so they did just that. Knowing that reviews are becoming even more influential than the official star ratings, Hotels.com looked at over 25 million Hotels.com guest reviews on the website to pick the winners.New York, Chicago and Houston topped the list of award-winning cities in the U.S., continuing their reign from last year. Additionally, travelers can check into award-winning properties in more than 500 towns and cities across the country.For travelers visiting the Big Apple, there are many Most Wanted properties to choose from with 20 properties receiving an average guest rating of 9.4 or higher. The Mark and The Library Hotel both received a 9.6 average guest rating, with Conrad New York and Hotel 50 Bowery not far behind with a 9.4.

Chicago also boats properties that guests loved, with The Sono Chicago, The Peninsula Chicago and The Langham all receiving a 9.8 average guest rating.In Houston, travelers had some exciting options with the Hotel Granduca Houston and The Lancaster Hotel both receiving a 9.6 average guest rating. The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, which received a 9.4, was another highly rated option.

Top 5 Cities in the U.S. winning Loved by Guest Most Wanted Awards:

1. New York – 20 hotels
2. Chicago – 17 hotels
3. Houston – 16 hotels
4. Washington, D.C. – 11 hotels
5. Austin, Texas – 11 hotels

The competition was tough, with an astonishing 3,400 properties across 91 countries being identified as truly outstanding. The winning hotels had to receive a rating of 9.4 (out of 10) or above to be categorized as one of the world’s ‘Most Wanted’ properties. Globally, the U.S. stormed ahead with 1,498 properties snapping up a ‘Most Wanted’ award, running away from the competition, with Italy (232), the UK (192), Canada (126) and Spain (101) making up the top five countries to scoop awards.While the U.S. had the most ‘Most Wanted’ hotels total by far, the awarded properties were widely spread across several cities in the states. The cities around the globe where travelers are most likely to check into a Most Wanted award-winning hotel are: Rome (39), Florence (38), London (36), Hanoi (36) and Venice (32) – with the Italians speeding away with three out of the top five cities. To bag the best deals on hotels in these top destinations, download the Hotels.com mobile app for access to Secret Prices.

The Most Wanted  

More than 20 properties around the world received an outstanding ’10 out of 10′ in their reviews throughout the whole of 2017, an impressive golden record. The UK stole the show with six hotels receiving top marks, followed by five in the U.S. and two in the Czech Republic. Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, Iceland, Portugal, Turkey, Brazil, Canada and Bali all had one hotel each with a perfect report.

Best in Class

Whether it’s a pampering session, a sun lounger staycation or even a dollop of luxury you are looking for, Hotels.com Loved by Guests ‘Top100’ winners will have it all. With 1,000 properties across 10 categories, including – Luxury, Business, Boutique, LGBT, Beach, Ski, Family, Spa, New and All Inclusive, there will be no shortage of options when planning your next trip. These awards celebrate the best 100 in each group, so you can tailor any vacation to your every need.For all of your family travel needs, Paniolo Greens at Waikoloa Village in Waikoloa, Hawaii received an average guest rating of  9. The Maven at Dairy Block in Denver received a 9.2 average guest rating for its newness. For the perfect beach getaway, COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Florida received a 9.2. A few popular LGBT hotels include Fifteen Beacon in Boston and Belmond El Encanto in Santa Barbara, California, both received a 9.4 average guest rating.

“The Loved by Guests awards are all about Hotels.com guest reviews, the good the great and the awesome! We know that people value fellow guest opinions even more than star ratings these days, so we’re giving everyone super clear access to just that and highlighting the properties that truly stand out,” said Johan Svanstrom, president for Hotels.com. “When you’re scrolling through your smartphone, it is really easy to skim through reviews about the insanely huge bed, the ‘out of this world’ avocado on toast, the life-altering spa treatment or the fantastic hotel staff who took great care of you. There are 25 million verified guest reviews that can offer inspiration for your next trip as well as help you pick a great hotel for your needs.”All the award-winning properties are bookable through the award-winning Hotels.com mobile app, available on iOS and Android. Look out for the Loved by Guests badges to find your favorite. Check out some of the winning hotels on Facebook and Instagram using the #LovedbyGuests hashtag or visit https://www.hotels.com/page/loved-by-guests-2018/.

To save big on trips, travelers can use Hotels.com^® Rewards, which lets you earn free* nights while you sleep and gain access to instant savings like Secret Prices**. Secret Prices are lower rates that aren’t available to everyone and offer up to 50% off thousands of properties in popular destinations every day. With Hotels.com Rewards, you earn a free night for every 10 booked. It’s that simple. In addition to these savings, Hotels.com and Capital One® have joined forces to bring travelers even more extraordinary travel rewards! Capital One Venture® and VentureOne® cardholders can earn unlimited 10x miles (10 miles per dollar) when they pay using their Venture or VentureOne card at Hotels.com/venture through January 31, 2