Expedia.ca Releases 2013 Insiders' Select(TM) List of the World's Best-Reviewed Hotels

Mexico Dominates Top 10 With One&Only Palmilla Resort in Los Cabos Ranked #1 in World; Six of the Top 10 Rated Canadian Hotels Located in British Columbia


TORONTO--(Marketwired - Aug 6, 2013) - Expedia.ca®, the country's leading online travel provider, today announced the Expedia® 2013 Insiders' Select™ rankings, an annual crowd-sourced list of the world's best-reviewed hotels. The Insiders' Select™ list recognizes the top-ranked hotels available in the Expedia global marketplace, as judged by more than 1 million annual guest reviews and in-house experts. 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.

The exclusive 2013 list designates only 650 hotels as Insiders' Select™ hotels, from among the more than 205,000 properties available on Expedia-branded sites worldwide. The top 10 hotels in this year's ranking include:

1. One&Only Palmilla Resort (5 stars, San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico)
2. Arenas del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort (4.5 stars, Quepos, Costa Rica)
3. Marrol's Boutique Hotel (5 stars, Bratislava, Slovakia)
4. Banyan Tree Mayakoba (5 stars, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico)
5. Hotel d'Europe (5 stars, Avignon, France)
6. Capella Ixtapa Resort & Spa (5 stars, Ixtapa, Mexico)
7. Welk Resort Sirena del Mar (4 stars, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico)
8. Casa Velas Hotel Boutique & Beach Club (4.5 stars, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
9. The Knight Residence (5 stars, Edinburgh, Scotland)
10. The Leela Palace Bangalore (5 stars, Bengaluru, India)

"The annual Insiders' Select™ list is another great example of the tools and resources Expedia.ca offers Canadians so they can make informed travel choices," said Sean Shannon, Vice President and Managing Director of Expedia Canada. "Because this list is comprised of unbiased feedback from staff experts and hotel guests, would-be vacationers can research and book with the confidence and trust that comes from peer recommendations."

Of the top 10 hotels worldwide, five were in Mexico, which according to the Conference Board of Canada saw a record 1.57 million Canadian visitors in 20121.

"It's great to see so many properties in Mexico on the Insiders' Select™ list because we know what a popular destination it is for Canadians. Hopefully this year's list gives them a few more options to consider for their upcoming travels down south," said Shannon.

Canadian Hotels Make Prestigious List

The global Insiders' Select™ list also included several Canadian properties representing the best hotels the country has to offer and among the top 10 Canadian hotels, six were in British Columbia. Canadian properties featured on The Insiders' Select™ list include:

124. Fairmont Pacific Rim (5 stars, Vancouver)
137. The Magnolia Hotel and Spa (4.5 stars, Vancouver)
172. Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa (4.5 stars, Brentwood Bay, BC)
299. Auberge St-Antoine (4 star, Quebec City)
386. Rosewood Hotel Georgia (5 stars, Vancouver)
388. Loden Hotel (4.5 stars, Vancouver)
413. The Hazelton Hotel (5 stars, Toronto)
462. Nita Lake Lodge (4 stars, Whistler)
481. Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier (4 stars, Vancouver)
536. Hotel Le Germain - Dominion (3.5 stars, Quebec City)

"Expedia.ca congratulates the top-ranked properties in British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario and we are extremely proud to be able to provide travellers with the opportunity to stay at these marquee properties which made the list by impressing travellers from around the world," said Shannon.

Insiders' Select™ ranks hotels using a combination of guest reviews, Expedia hotel expert input and overall value. The list is developed using a proprietary mathematical formula, predominantly based on quantitative customer review scores with an element of qualitative insight from the local Expedia Market Management teams.

Hotels that are named to the Insiders' Select™ list 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 traveller opinions on the reputation and future success of a hotel.

For more information on Insiders' Select™, visit http://expedia.ca/insidersselect and to save on summer travel, book a hotel stay via the Expedia.ca Spontaneous Summer Sale and save up to 50% on your booking -- all backed by the Expedia.ca Best Price Guarantee on hotels.

About Expedia Canada

Expedia.ca is the nation's most-visited full-service online and mobile travel site. To help Canadians plan and purchase travel, Expedia.ca offers the best combination of scheduled and charter flights, car and hotel reservations, vacation packages, destination activities, cruises, and trip insurance. Expedia customers are supported by customer support agents available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via a toll-free number and email response.

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Expedia, Expedia.ca and the Airplane 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. © 2013 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST: 2029030-50

1 Conference Board of Canada - Mexico Five Year Travel Forecast, June 2013

Contact Information:

For more information, please contact:

Emily Vear
Veritas Communications
416-955-4590


Kate Burkholder
Veritas Communications
416-955-4592