Travel + Leisure World's Best Hotels High on Boutiques

July 12, 2016

The 2016 Travel + Leisure World’s Best awards were announced on July 6, and if there’s a theme among the Top 100 Hotels in the World it’s that “boutique is better.”

The Spectator in Charleston, South Carolina, and Montage Kapalua Bay in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, were ranked No. 2 and No. 4, respectively, by Travel + Leisure’s annual readers’ survey. Respondents rated properties on a five-point scale based on five characteristics: rooms/facilities, location, service, restaurants/food and value.

Since opening last year, The Spectator’s location in the heart of Charleston’s Historic District has helped create buzz over the 41-room boutique property. But what helps sets The Spectator apart from its peers are personal butler service and captivating design that reflects Art Deco style with Southern charm. For example, the lobby’s opulent chandelier features 1,800 hand-strung crystals and a Speakeasy-style bar. There’s meeting and event space for up to 50.

“It is a remarkable accomplishment that within its very first year of opening, The Spectator is already acknowledged by Travel + Leisure readers as the best city hotel in the country,” said Michael Tall, president and chief operating officer of Charlestowne Hotels which manages The Spectator. “This is a testament to the hotel team’s commitment to high-touch, curated guest experiences–one of the cornerstones of our hotel management process, and a mainstay of the exceptional service culture and superior guest relations Charlestowne Hotels provides at all of our managed properties.”

The No. 1-rated hotel was Nihiwatu, Sumba, Indonesia.

Montage Kapalua Bay is among the world’s best hotels because of location as well. One of the Hawaiian Islands’ main leisure destinations, Lahaina, Maui, has a resort worthy of business events and incentive trips thanks to the Montage. The 50-room Forbes Five Star property has outdoor lawn space for up to 1,000 and indoor meeting space for 125.