US, Italy and India lead CN Traveler's hotel Gold List 2015

Because when asked to name their favorite hotels around the world for the 2015 edition of the Gold List, decision-makers gave nods to 11 addresses in Italy, 8 in California, and 7 in India. As the largest hotel market, the US is the overall country leader with 22 hotels. New this year, hotels on the the annual Gold List were selected by editors, writers and "influencers" who were asked to answer one simple question: "What are your favorite hotels in the world?" Previous Gold Lists were compiled after tabulating the scores of 80,000 readers from their Readers' Choice Surveys, Relaxnews reports. To qualify for consideration on the Gold List, it's not enough to be a five-star hotel, editors say. Rather, it's what they call "micro-ingredients" -- the small details and special touches that helped each of the winning properties earn a spot on the list. At the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, for instance, a young guest who lost her tooth during her stay received a special message from the tooth fairy via the hotel housekeeper. At Strawberry Hill in Jamaica, the guest experience is heightened by the ability to pick fresh mangoes off the balcony, and at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in California, guests leave with the scent of fresh lavender as a souvenir. Here's a selection of properties that made the Gold List 2015, which spans six continents and 34 countries: South Africa: Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town China: Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing India: Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur Japan: Ginzan Hot Spring Fujiya Inn, Ginzan Onsen Singapore: Raffles Singapore France: Mandarin Oriental Paris Italy: Aman Canal Grande, Venice Brazil: Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa, Trancoso US: Chateau Marmont, California Lafayette House, New York Ace Hotel, New York The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, New York

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