The magazine’s Best in Travel Poll is an annual event, where readers cast their votes for Asia’s best business hotels, luxury resorts, spas, destinations, business cities, shopping spots, and the world's best airlines and airports.

 

UNESCO-World Heritage site listed Hoi An inched up one spot from last year to rank fifth in the Top Ten Best Holiday Destinations along with Bangkok.

 

 

Ranked sixth in the Top Ten Best Cities for Shopping is Hanoi, up two spots from the 2008’s poll. Ho Chi Minh City remained at the tenth spot as last year in the Top Ten Cities for Business, the same rank as South Korea’s Seoul and Taiwan’s Taipei.

 

 

The Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel in HCMC advanced four ranks from last year to gain the 17th position in the top 25 Business Hotels in Asia.  Stepping up one rank to become the second best leisure hotel and resort is the five-star Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel in the capital city.

 

 

But the colonial-era hotel dropped one rank from last year in the Top 25 Conference Hotels to No.9 this year, followed by another Vietnamese hotel, the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel, which also fell one spot from 2008. Also, ranked ninth best leisure hotel and resort is the five-star deluxe Nam Hai Resort and Spa in Hoi An, up ten places from 2008.

 

 

The poll was conducted from May to July this year. It highlighted readers’ perceptions and favorite travel brands. The magazine estimated voters for the poll took 12.84 air trips over the past 12 months, down from 15 air trips the year before and earned US$170,401 in household income, compared to $175,000 in 2008.

 

 

About 60 percent of the voters are from Asia, 20 percent from Europe and 20 percent from North America. More information about the 2009 Best in Travel Poll is available at: http://www.smarttravelasia.com/travelpoll.htm