TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

St. Pete Hotel Ranked In Top 500

ADVERTISEMENT

By TED JACKOVICS

tjackovics@tampatrib.com

Published: January 1, 2009

TAMPA - The Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in downtown St. Petersburg ranked among the top 500 hotels in the world in the Travel + Leisure magazine's annual readers survey.

"It's great to be recognized again this year by such a well respected publication," Vinoy general manager Russ Bond said in an e-mail. "It is just as important for our city/Bay Area as we continue to develop into a great cultural destination both regionally and nationally."

The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota was also among the 28 Florida hotels that made the list, rounded out by seven in Orlando, five in Miami and three each in Naples and Palm Beach.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Wilderness Lodge made the list, along with the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studios. The other Orlando hotels among the top 500 are the Grand Bohemian Hotel, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes.

The Singita Sabi Sand at the Kruger National Park area in South Africa ranked No. 1 worldwide.

The Triple Key Ranch in Darby, Mont., posted the highest score for U.S. hotels while the Little Palm Island Resort & Spa on Little Torch Key topped Florida's list.

The survey appears in the magazine's January issue. To see the complete list of top 500 hotels, go to www.traveland leisure.com/tl500/2009.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT